George Moses Horton (?1797-1884). Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
George Moses Horton (?1797-1884) was an African-American poet, called the "Colored Bard of North Carolina."
Life[]
Horton was born into slavery on William Horton's plantation in Northampton County, North Carolina. As a very young child, he and several family members were moved to a tobacco farm in rural Chatham County, North Carolina, when his owner relocated.
Horton composed poems in his mind through his teen years. He was allowed by his master to visit the nearby University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he recited poems to students who eagerly wrote them down and paid him for his compositions. His fame spread, and a collection of poems was published under the title The Hope of Liberty (1829). Horton was the first black southern author and the first African American poet to produce a volume in more than half a century.
Horton hoped to use his income to buy his freedom, but was unsuccessful despite appeals to his owner from many sources (including the state Governor).
During the 1830s, though, Horton was able to rent his labor from his owner, and write full-time. He learned to write in 1832, and continued to buy his time for the next 30 years.[1]
2 more collections of Horton's poetry include Poetical Works (1845) and Naked Genius (1865). Many of his poems were vivid and powerful attacks on slavery.
After the American Civil War, Horton moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he lived until his death. Once in the north, he never published another verse.
Recognition[]
During the summer of 2006, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill renamed a newly built dorm, previously known as Hinton James North, to George Moses Horton Dormitory.
Publications[]
- The Hope of Liberty. Raleigh, NC: J. Gales & Son, 1829.[2]
- Poems by a Slave. Philadelphia, PA: n.p., 1837.[3]
- The Poetical Works of George M. Horton, the Colored Bard of North Carolina: To which is prefixed the life of the author, written by himself. Hillsborough, NC: D. Heartt, 1845.
- Naked Genius. Raleigh, NC: William B. Smith, 1865.[2]
On Liberty and Slavery Poem by George Moses Horton
See also[]
References[]
- Joan R. Sherman, The Black Bard of North Carolina: George Moses Horton and his poetry. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997.
Notes[]
- ↑ George Moses Horton b. 1798, Poetry Foundation, Web, Oct. 8, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Selected Poetry of George Moses Horton (1797?-ca. 1880), Representative Poetry Online, University of Toronto, UToronto.ca, Web, Nov. 26, 2011.
- ↑ Poems by a Slave (1837), Internet Archive, Web, Oct. 8, 2012.
External links[]
- Poems
- "On Summer"
- Selected Poetry of George Moses Horton (1797?-ca. 1880) (3 poems) at Representative Poetry Online
- George Moses Horton 1798-1883 at the Poetry Foundation
- George Moses Horton at PoemHunter (69 poems)
- Books
- The Poetical Works of George M. Horton, the Colored Bard of North Carolina: To which is prefixed the life of the author, written by himself. Hillsborough [N.C.]: Printed by D. Heartt, 1845.
- George Moses Horton at Amazon.com
- About
- George Moses Horton at Learn NC.
- Life of George M. Horton, the Colored Bard of North Carolina. Hillsborough: Heartt, 1845.
- The Poetical Works of George M. Horton, the Colored Bard of North Carolina: To which is prefixed the life of the author, written by himself. Hillsborough [N.C.]: Printed by D. Heartt, 1845.
- Etc.
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