Jupiter Hammon and Phillis Wheatley were the only two enslaved writers in North America to publish works during the 18th century. Their poetry and prose reflected their deep Christian faiths and contributed to larger discussions about liberty and slavery on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Date: Saturday, August 15, 2020
Time: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Long Island in the Black Atlantic World: Why did Long Island have one of the largest enslaved populations in the North during the 17th and 18th centuries?
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Date: Saturday, September 19, 2020
Time: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
The Voice of Jupiter Hammon: What do Jupiter Hammon’s writings tell us about him as an educated individual surviving within the structure of enslavement?
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Date: Saturday, October 17, 2020
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Join us on Jupiter Hammon’s birthday as United for Libraries and Empire State Center for the Book is recognizes the house where the first published African American writer lived and was enslaved as a Literary Landmark.
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Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020
Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Confronting Slavery at Joseph Lloyd Manor: How can Preservation Long Island best engage Joseph Lloyd Manor visitors with Jupiter Hammon’s story, the region’s history of enslavement, and segregation on Long Island today?
The practice of chattel slavery in New York has a long history. Rather than ending enslavement outright, New York enacted a series of gradual emancipation laws that created slow and often complicated paths towards freedom.