American Print history is a vast and multifaceted landscape, encompassing diverse voices and narratives that have shaped the nation’s cultural and intellectual identity. While often dominated by mainstream narratives, the contributions of early African American print culture are crucial to understanding the full spectrum of American print. This article delves into the significant role African Americans played in the evolution of American print, highlighting their literary works, political activism, and the challenges they faced and overcame in making their voices heard.
Vectors of Movement: The Reach of Early African American Print
Early African American print culture was not confined by geographical boundaries. It was a dynamic force that traversed the Atlantic, connecting individuals and communities across continents. The very concept of the book held immense cultural significance for enslaved and formerly enslaved Africans in America. Figures like Phillis Wheatley and Ignatius Sancho, as explored by Joseph Rezek, exemplify this “Print Atlantic,” demonstrating how early African American writers engaged with and contributed to a broader literary world through print.
Joanna Brooks’ research into the life spans of early Black books sheds light on the material realities of this print culture. By examining the longevity and circulation of these texts, we gain a deeper understanding of their impact and the conditions under which they were produced and disseminated. Furthermore, the poetry of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, as analyzed by Meredith L. McGill, showcases the intricate “circuits of abolitionist poetry.” Harper’s work moved through various networks, contributing to the powerful movement against slavery.
Expanding beyond the East Coast, Eric Gardner’s exploration of early African American print culture in the American West reveals a less discussed dimension of this history. This investigation demonstrates that African American engagement with print was a national phenomenon, extending to the frontiers of American expansion and shaping regional identities and dialogues.
Racialization and Identity Production in Print
Print became a crucial arena where racial identities were negotiated and contested in early America. Jeannine Marie DeLombard’s work on apprehending early African American literary history underscores the importance of critically examining the historical context and power dynamics that shaped the reception and interpretation of these works.
Corey Capers investigates the complex relationship between “Black Voices, White Print,” revealing how racial practices and print publicity intersected in the early American Republic. This exploration highlights the ways in which the dominant print culture both included and excluded African American voices, often framing them within racialized narratives.
Susanna Ashton’s study of The Life and Narrative of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave exemplifies how slavery itself was “imprinted” into the nation’s consciousness through slave narratives. These powerful autobiographical accounts utilized print to expose the brutal realities of slavery and assert the humanity of enslaved people.
Jonathan Senchyne’s analysis of Clotel; or, The President’s Daughter by William Wells Brown, focuses on “Bottles of Ink and Reams of Paper,” examining the material culture of print in relation to racialization. This perspective highlights how the very act of writing and publishing was a form of resistance and identity construction for African American authors.
Adaptation, Citation, and Deployment of Print Culture
Early African American writers and thinkers were not simply recipients of print culture; they actively adapted, cited, and deployed it for their own purposes. Lara Langer Cohen’s analysis of citation practices in Clotel reveals sophisticated literary and intellectual strategies employed by early African American authors.
Daniel Hack’s chapter on African American “Deployments of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’” demonstrates how canonical works were reinterpreted and repurposed to address African American concerns and experiences. This act of literary engagement showcases a dynamic and critical relationship with mainstream print culture.
Holly Jackson’s study of Hagar’s Daughter explores themes of “Reproduction and Reversion,” examining how African American print engaged with and revised existing literary tropes and narratives. This highlights the innovative and transformative nature of African American contributions to American literature.
Dalila Scruggs’ work on “Representations of the Liberian Landscape in Colonization Print Culture” sheds light on the complex and often fraught relationship between African Americans and colonization movements. Print played a crucial role in shaping perceptions and promoting agendas related to Liberia and African colonization.
Susan Gillman’s chapter on “Networking Uncle Tom’s Cabin” examines the phenomenon of “Hyper Stowe” in early African American print culture. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s influential novel became a touchstone for African American writers and activists, prompting responses, adaptations, and critiques within their own print networks.
Public Performances: Print and the Making of Publics
Print was not merely a medium for disseminating texts; it was also integral to the formation of publics and the performance of identity. Lloyd Pratt’s analysis of Les Cenelles, the first anthology of poetry by Francophone Creole writers of color in New Orleans, reveals the “Lyric Public” that emerged through this literary collective.
Derrick R. Spires explores the “Early African American Politics of Publicity in the Black State Conventions,” demonstrating how print was used to organize, communicate, and project a collective political voice. These conventions and their printed proceedings were crucial in shaping early African American political discourse.
Radiclani Clytus’s chapter on “The Pictorialization of American Abolitionism” examines how visual print culture, including images and illustrations, contributed to the abolitionist movement. “Keeping It Before the People” meant utilizing the power of images to evoke empathy and mobilize public opinion against slavery.
Elizabeth Maddock Dillon’s study of John Marrant and his printed sermons explores the intersection of “Print, Performance, and the Making of Publics.” Marrant’s work highlights how oral performance and printed texts were intertwined in the creation of early African American literary and religious publics.
Conclusion
Early African American print culture is an essential, yet often underappreciated, component of American print history. From literary masterpieces to political pamphlets, African American writers, activists, and communities utilized print to articulate their experiences, challenge racial injustice, and shape public discourse. By examining these diverse contributions, we gain a richer and more accurate understanding of the multifaceted history of American print and the enduring legacy of African American voices within it. Further research into this area promises to continue to illuminate the depth and breadth of this vital aspect of American cultural heritage.
