Classic stories of the author George Moses Horton

George Moses Horton

Known as the "Black bard of North Carolina", G. M. Horton wrote his first collection, The Hope of Liberty (1829), to earn enough money to purchase his freedom, but in vain. He did not become free until 1865, when Union troops and the Emancipation Proclamation reached North Carolina.

Classics

On Hearing of the Intention of a Gentleman to Purchase the Poet's Freedom

George Moses Horton

When on life's ocean first I spread my sail,
I then implored a mild auspicious gale;
And from the slippery strand I took my flight,
And sought the peaceful haven of delight.

Tyrannic ... [+]

Classics

19th Century African American Literature 1 min

The Slave's Complaint

George Moses Horton

Am I sadly cast aside,
On misfortune's rugged tide?
Will the world my pains deride Forever?
Must I dwell in Slavery's night,
And all pleasure take its flight,
Far beyond my feeble sight ... [+]

Classics

19th Century African American Literature 1 min

On Liberty and Slavery

George Moses Horton

Alas! and am I born for this, To wear this slavish chain? Deprived of all created bliss, Through hardship, toil, and pain!
How long have I in bondage lain, And languished to be free! Alas ... [+]

Classics

19th Century African American Literature 1 min

George Moses Horton, Myself

George Moses Horton

I feel myself in need Of the inspiring strains of ancient lore, My heart to lift, my empty mind to feed, And all the world explore.
I know that I am old And never can recover what is past, ... [+]

A New Kind of Literary Pulse

A New Kind of Literary Pulse

George Moses Horton

On Hearing of the Intention of a Gentleman to Purchase the Poet's Freedom

The Slave's Complaint

On Liberty and Slavery

George Moses Horton, Myself