Author: Jupiter Hammon

Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806) was an African American poet and preacher. Born into slavery at Lloyd Manor on Long Island, New York, Hammon was educated by the Anglican Church and developed a talent for reading and writing at a young age. In 1761, his poem “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries” was published as a broadside, making Hammon the first black published author in American history. During the Revolutionary War, he composed “An Address to Miss Phillis Wheatley, ” which appeared in print eighteen years after his debut. In 1786, at the inaugural assembly of the African Society in New York City, Hammon delivered a speech titled “Address to the Negroes in the State of New York.” At 76 years old, still enslaved by the Lloyd family, he affirmed his faith in heavenly salvation and stated his hope for the freedom of future generations. He lived an astounding life, inspiring many and defying his captivity in subtle acts of resistance. Although his work is limited—four poems and four prose pieces—Hammon displayed a mastery of Christian theology and poetic form while pursuing a message of racial uplift and moral righteousness. Buried in an unmarked grave, enslaved for the entirety of his life on earth, Jupiter Hammon remains an insurmountable force in American history and a pioneer of African American literature.