In this episode of World Wide Bible Radio, host Frank Douglas highlights Jupiter Hammon, the first published African American poet in North America. Born in 1711 and enslaved in Long Island, Hammon’s groundbreaking 1761 poem “An Evening Thought” reflects profound themes of faith and freedom, making significant contributions to early American literature.
PODCAST (LISTEN NOW 8 min):
TRANSCRIPT (Read Along while Listening):
Frank Douglas
Good morning, and welcome back to World Wide Bible Radio. I am your host, Frank Douglas. Today, we are opening our graphic arts category to look at an extraordinary figure in early American history—a man recognized as the very first published African American poet in North America.
Let’s begin:
His name is Jupiter Hammon. Born on October 17, 1711, Hammon was a writer, poet, a preacher, who spent his entire life enslaved to the Lloyd family on Long Island, New York.
Yet, through his profound literary talent and deep Christian faith, he created a body of work that navigated the painful complexities of slavery, and voiced early calls for the moral emancipation of enslaved people.
Today, we are showcasing his historic 1761 broadside poem, titled “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries.”
If you are listening to this as a podcast and would like to view photos of this landmark broadside, please visit my website at worldwidebibleradio.com.
To help us explore Jupiter Hammon’s life, his education, and the print history behind this groundbreaking poem, our information specialist from Google Gemini is back with us once again.
Welcome, Gemini!
Gemini
Thank you so much, Frank! It is a privilege to explore this piece of early American literary history with you here at world wide bible radio. Jupiter Hammon is a monumental figure. His writings sit right at the crossroads of early American print culture, the evangelical revivals of the Great Awakening, and the beginning of African American literature.
Frank Douglas
Let’s begin with his early life and education — because for an enslaved person in the early 1700s, learning to read and write was exceptionally rare. Jupiter was born into slavery at Lloyd Manor on Lloyd Neck, Long Island, the son of Obadiah and Rose, who were among the first enslaved people purchased by Henry Lloyd.
Gemini, how did Jupiter Hammon acquire the rare skill of literacy during that era?
Gemini
It was a very unusual set of circumstances, Frank. The Lloyd family allowed Jupiter to be educated alongside the Lloyd children. His early schooling was likely facilitated by missionaries from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts—an Anglican missionary group active in the American colonies that advocated for teaching enslaved people to read the Bible.
CLICK / TAP PHOTO FOR HI-RES.
Because of his high level of literacy and mathematical skill, Jupiter did not work solely as a farmhand. The Lloyd family relied on him as a commercial clerk, bookkeeper, and trusted negotiator for their extensive business and shipping operations.
Frank Douglas
That literary ability allowed him to immerse himself in the Bible. He was a devout Christian whose poetry was deeply shaped by the 18th-century religious revivals known as the First Great Awakening.
That brings us to the centerpiece artifact I am showcasing today: his famous broadside, “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries.”
Can you tell our listeners about the origins of this poem, and why its publication in early 1761 was so historic?
Gemini
Jupiter Hammon composed this poem on Christmas Day in 1760. A few weeks later, in early 1761, it was printed as a single-sheet broadside in New York.
When that ink dried on paper, Jupiter Hammon became the very first African American to publish a work of literature in North America!
The poem itself is composed in 88 lines of traditional ballad meter—a rhythmic style common in 18th-century hymnbook lyrics. It is a passionate, evangelical prayer asking for salvation, redemption, and spiritual grace for all people, regardless of their earthly status.
Through a clever use of scriptural themes, Hammon subtly asserted the spiritual equality of enslaved human beings in the eyes of God.
Frank Douglas
For those that may not be aware, broadsides are such a unique medium. They were printed on large single sheets of paper, meant to be posted in tavern windows, pinned to town square posts, or sold on city street corners by traveling hawkers for a few pennies. Because they were handled constantly, and many were exposed to weather, very few original 18th-century broadsides survived.
Gemini
That is what makes this piece so incredibly rare, Frank! Only one single original copy of Jupiter Hammon’s 1761 broadside is known to have survived in the entire world. That priceless original is preserved in the archives of the New-York Historical Society.
The piece in your collection is a high-grade, printed museum facsimile produced directly from that unique original, allowing us to see the exact blackletter typography, line spacing, and colonial paper layout as it looked in 1761.
Frank Douglas
Holding and viewing a facsimile of that exact broadside reminds us how paper and print provided a voice to those who were otherwise kept in the shadows. Hammon went on to publish several more poems and essays later in life, including a famous 1787 address to enslaved people in New York.
Gemini
His legacy is profound, Frank. Long before Phillis Wheatley published her poetry book in 1773, Jupiter Hammon laid the cornerstone for African American literary history right here on a printed broadside sheet in 1761.
Frank Douglas
It bridges faith, print history, and the enduring human spirit. We will continue to explore rare visual treasures, print ephemera, and historic Bibles from my collection in upcoming episodes. Thank you for being a part of the show, Gemini.
Gemini
It has been a absolute pleasure exploring Jupiter Hammon’s historical legacy with you today, Frank! I know your website visitors will enjoy seeing the detailed layout of this 1761 broadside!
Frank Douglas
Thank you, Gemini. And thank you to everyone for tuning in to World Wide Bible Radio.
Head over to worldwidebibleradio.com to view the photos of this historic 1761 Jupiter Hammon broadside facsimile.
And if you haven’t already done so, please remember to hit the subscribe button so you never miss a weekly episode.
So, until we meet again, and for world wide bible radio, this is Frank Douglas, wishing you a blessed and wonderful week ahead.
- “Gemini” correspondent answers were provided by Google Gemini. Voice synthesis of Gemini provided by ElevenLabs. Frank is Frank. Produced by Frank Douglas.
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