Research African American Artist in History 1619-1900 (Essay Sample)

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African American Artist (1619-1900)
Throughout the history of arts in America, African Americans have had significant contribution since the past. In the past, despite the discrimination that faced African Americans, some managed to come up with art that is still recognized until today. In this essay, I will examine one of the African American artists in history who lived between the year 1619 and 1900. The artist discussed in this article is Lucy Terry Prince. She was a famous orator of the 18th century and also the first famous African-American poet.
The birth of Lucy Terry Prince took place in West Africa. Though the real date of her birth is unknown, it is said to have occurred in the first half of the 18th century, probably in the mid-1720s. The past records pertaining her life are very limited, and therefore, the available details have been attained from contexture and scholarly research. When she was at her young age, Prince was kidnapped by slave traders who took her to Rhode Island. It was believed that she had initially been brought there by Samuel Terry, who resided in Connecticut, Enfield. After the death of Terry in 1730, she was finally sent to stay in Massachusetts, with the Ebenezer Wells of Deerfield. During her stay with the Wells family, the modern and intelligent prince became a faithful Christian, where she was baptized and became a recognized member of the church in her teenage. According to historical records, she learned to read during her stay with the Wells.
Prince, being a captivating storyteller and a wordsmith, used the skills she had to attain greater milestones. “Bars Fight” (1746), is her work, and it tells a story of the killings of white settlers who died in an attack that took place in Deerfield by the Native Americans. This became the earliest ever known poem composed by an African American. The poem was first shared orally for a period longer than a century, and it was published in 1855 for the first time in History of Western Massachusetts by Josiah G. Holland. Apart from her creative artwork in the poem, some historical sources claim that Prince appeared before the Supreme Court of the United States in a case involving her family. She argued against false land assertions of Colonel Eli Bronson in Vermont, Sunderland. It was sa...