Jupiter Hammon

Jupiter Hammon (October 17, 1711 – ) was an American writer who is known as a founder of African-American literature, as his poem published in 1761 in New York was the first by an African American man in North America. He subsequently published both poetry and prose. In addition, he was a preacher and a commercial clerk on Long Island, New York.

Born into slavery at the Lloyd Manor on Long Island, Hammon learned to read and write. In 1761, at nearly 50, Hammon published his first poem, "An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries". He was the first African-American poet published in North America.

Early life and education The facts of Hammon's personal life are limited. Opium and Rose, enslaved people purchased by Henry Lloyd, are believed to have been the parents of Jupiter Hammon.

Literary works

"An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries" was Jupiter Hammon's first published poem. Composed on December 25, 1760, it appeared as a broadside in 1761. Hammon believed his poem would encourage Wheatley along her Christian journey. In his address he told the crowd, "If we should ever get to Heaven, we shall find nobody to reproach us for being black, or for being slaves." New York Quakers who supported the abolition of slavery published Hammon's speech, and it was reprinted by several abolitionist groups, including the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. The second was found in 2015 by Claire Bellerjeau, a researcher investigating the Townsend family and their slaves who lived at Raynham Hall in nearby Oyster Bay.

Works "" (1761) "" (1770, unpublished) "" (1778) "" (1786, unpublished) "An Essay on the Ten Virgins" (1779, lost work) "A Winter Piece" (1782) "A Winter Piece" (1782) - Hammon uses the season "Winter" as a symbol for the struggles and battles that people face in life. He describes the winter as a lack of movement and darkness, creating a visual aid to help the reader understand what he actually means. Hammon implies that the struggles you go through in life could help build a better connection with God and help you grow spiritually. He emphasizes throughout this piece that keeping faith in God during times of struggle. "A Poem for Children with Thoughts on Death" (1782) "A Poem for Children with Thoughts on Death" (1782) - In this poem, Hammon talks about life, death, and morality, speaking directly to the children. He uses this short poem to grab the attention of children, giving them advice on how it could be if you lived a good life, emphasizing that how you feel spiritually is more important than a temporary feeling. Hammon advises children to do things right when they are young and to trust God because God alone will make them wise. "An Evening's Improvement" (1783) "An Evening's Improvement" (1783) - Specifically, in this poem, Hammon speaks about how you should use your time, and he uses the evening to describe it. He emphasizes that evening time is almost like a time to reflect, a time to think about the actions you took throughout the day. This is another one of his spiritual growth pieces with some self-growth as well. He claims that in your free time, you should talk to God, think about your actions, and think about how you can make yourself a better individual. He claims that doing this can lead to living a more meaningful life and preparation for life after death. "The Kind Master and Dutiful Servant" (1783) "The Kind Master and Dutiful Servant" (1783) - In this poem, Hammon speaks about the relationships between servants and masters. Hinting that a master treating a servant fairly could encourage loyalty and thorough service, and the servants respond to being treated like this by actually doing their job and being appreciative. At a certain point in this poem, Hammon wants to get across that the way you treat someone, regardless of the circumstances, could create peace and tighter bonds. He even speaks on why servants acted the way they acted, all because of how they were treated by their masters. The main goal of the poem was to let readers know that God rewards both kindness and faithfulness, and everybody should treat each other with the same respect. "An Address to the Negroes in the State of New-York "(1787) "An Address to the Negroes in the State of New-York" (1787) - This particular piece came out when Hammon was 75 years old. Throughout this piece he emphasizes avoiding sins and the spiritual state of people. He argues enslaved people's job was to follow orders and be honest. The piece mainly pays attention to freedom. He advocates the ability to know right form wrong and also humanity for the enslaved.