A text considered the earliest...
Illustration
A text considered the earliest writing by an African American slave is entitled The Uncommon Sufferings and Surprising Deliverance of Briton Hammon. Even though he was trapped in the brutal and inhumane grips of American slavery, during a thirteen-year period of absence from his slave master (1747-1760), Hammon records his Odysseus-like adventures among Indian and Spaniard captors.
When captured by the Indians and after they had killed the captain and mates aboard, Hammon was certain of death. Then, he writes, "But the Providence of God order'd it otherways, for He appeared for my Help, in this Mount of Difficulty, and they ... soon unbound me ..."
Later, while held without cause in a Spanish dungeon for nearly five years, this remarkable man still had not lost heart. Again he writes, "But kind Providence so order'd it, that after I had been in this Place so long ... Mrs. Betty Howard told of my deplorable Condition ..." and she sought relief for him.
Throughout this time, using his considerable shrewdness and skills as well as due to the providence of God, Hammon was able to escape every peril. Among his jobs were being a hireling on a sloop bound for London; a crew member on a ship bound for Jamaica; as cook on a ship bound for Guinea where he, while on board, ran into his former slave master. Nevertheless, through this entire ordeal, he continued to believe in God's benevolence and that his suffering was with Christ and that his freedom was in Christ.
When captured by the Indians and after they had killed the captain and mates aboard, Hammon was certain of death. Then, he writes, "But the Providence of God order'd it otherways, for He appeared for my Help, in this Mount of Difficulty, and they ... soon unbound me ..."
Later, while held without cause in a Spanish dungeon for nearly five years, this remarkable man still had not lost heart. Again he writes, "But kind Providence so order'd it, that after I had been in this Place so long ... Mrs. Betty Howard told of my deplorable Condition ..." and she sought relief for him.
Throughout this time, using his considerable shrewdness and skills as well as due to the providence of God, Hammon was able to escape every peril. Among his jobs were being a hireling on a sloop bound for London; a crew member on a ship bound for Jamaica; as cook on a ship bound for Guinea where he, while on board, ran into his former slave master. Nevertheless, through this entire ordeal, he continued to believe in God's benevolence and that his suffering was with Christ and that his freedom was in Christ.
