Articles in regional publications that pertain to a wide range of North Carolina-related topics.
George Moses Horton: the First Black Professional Writer in America
Record #:
38025
Author(s):
Abstract:
George Moses Horton, born abt. 1797 a slave in Northampton Co., NC, taught himself to read and write. About age 19, he made regular trips to UNC-Chapel Hill where he was encouraged and his poetic ability was discovered. A student paid him for a poem and he became one of the first African-American writers in the south. For the remainder of his life he supported himself, partially and at time totally from the fees he collected from his poems. By the 1830’s, Horton’s works were appearing in the ‘Raleigh Register,’ and went on to publish several books with backing from white friends.
Source: