Horton, George Moses, 1798?-approximately 1880

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person

Name Entries *

Horton, George Moses, 1798?-approximately 1880

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Horton

Forename :

George Moses

Date :

1798?-approximately 1880

eng

Latn

authorizedForm

rda

Horton, George Moses, 1798?-ca. 1880

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Date :

1798?-ca. 1880

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Horton, George Moses, 1797-1893

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Horton

Forename :

George Moses

Date :

1797-1893

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

Horton, George Moses, 1798-1883

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Horton

Forename :

George Moses

Date :

1798-1883

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

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Exist Dates

Exist Dates - Date Range

1798

1798

Birth

1880

1880

Death

There are no exact dates for his life or death

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Biographical History

George Moses Horton was born into slavery on William Horton's plantation, likely in 1798, in Northampton County, North Carolina. William Horton's estate was broken up in 1819; George was separated from his family. As a child he taught himself to read and compose poetry. By the age of 20, he began visiting the University of North Carolina and selling to the students acrostic love poems based on the names of their girlfriends. George was able to buy some time from his owner, James Horton; he was not freed, though, until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

His literary efforts were encouraged by a number of well-placed individuals, including the novelist Caroline Lee Hentz, North Carolina Governor and later University President David L. Swain, and newspaperman Horace Greeley. Hentz, encouraged him and arranged for the publication of a collection, The Hope of Liberty. The book, the first published in the South by a black man, did not sell enough copies for Horton to purchase his freedom, nor did two subsequent collections.

George relocated to Philadelphia after the Civil War. He later emigrated to Bexley, Liberia,  arriving January 7, 1867; it is unknown of his exact death date, death location, or burial; he may have even returned to Philadelphia.

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eng

Latn

External Related CPF

https://viaf.org/viaf/8257080

https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n50030738

https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n50030738

https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5542654

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Languages Used

eng

Latn

Subjects

American literature

African American authors

African American poets

American poetry

Slaves

Slaves' writing, American

Nationalities

Activities

Occupations

Poets

Legal Statuses

Places

Northampton County

NC, US

AssociatedPlace

Birth

North Carolina

NC, US

AssociatedPlace

Chapel Hill

NC, US

AssociatedPlace

United States

00, US

AssociatedPlace

Chatham County

NC, US

AssociatedPlace

Republic of Liberia

00, LR

AssociatedPlace

Philadelphia

PA, US

AssociatedPlace

Convention Declarations

<conventionDeclaration><citation>VIAF</citation></conventionDeclaration>

General Contexts

Structure or Genealogies

Mandates

Identity Constellation Identifier(s)

w63z63j3

19508883