Black Poets and the Patriots who Mocked them in Jefferson's America:
A Story about Literature, History, and Politics
Phillis Wheatley is well known as the mother of African American literature. But there were other accomplished Black poets in Jefferson’s Atlantic world, from Jamaica to Boston, who, like Wheatley, were both appreciated and mocked. Waldstreicher's talk will compare several of them, including especially Francis Williams, to Wheatley, examining their poems and some politicians’ responses to them, including that of Jefferson, and what it tells us about relationships between literature, politics, and history in the eighteenth century.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Distinguished Lecture Series is a collaborative effort between the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, the University of Virginia Library, and the Corcoran Department of History at the University. The lecture was established to bring to the University eminent scholars whose research will provide fresh insights into topics related to Jefferson. The UVA Library is proud to be a sponsor of this event, continuing its mission of connecting people with resources and ideas as the center of the University's unique educational community.
Please contact us by Thursday, May 1 to request accommodations such as ASL interpretation or other services for your full participation in this event. To request these accommodations or for more information, contact Holly Thornhill at library_events@virginia.edu / 434-242-6702.
