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.
Watch a recording of the October 24, 2020 Roundtable #3: Confronting Slavery at Joseph Lloyd Manor.
Watch the recording of the August 15, 2020 Roundtable #1: “Long Island in the Black Atlantic World”.
Preservation Long Island has been introducing visitors to Jupiter Hammon, one of America’s first published Black writers, at Joseph Lloyd Manor since the house opened to the public in the 1980s. Hammon’s life and writings offer an exceptionally nuanced view of slavery and freedom on Long Island before and after the American Revolution.