Poems by a Slave

George Horton was a slave who worked in North Carolina during the 1820s and 1830s, who taught himself to read and author poems, which are collected in this book.

As a young slave Horton detested manual farm work; he preferred to study and use his mind. He was able to obtain books, and diligently educated himself in the arts of literature and poetry. Once he was confident enough, he began to write poems of his own. Horton’s verses are very emotional and moving; they cover topics such as the loss of a child, life under the yolk of slavery, and the passing of the seasons. The poet writes at length about love, marriage and family life; something which was officially forbidden to slaves.

When George’s poems appeared in print there was much interest, and he unsuccessfully attempted to buy his freedom with earnings from his writings. He remained a slave until the Emancipation Proclamation was issued following the U.S. Civil War; at which point he was already advanced in age. The last known record of George’s life dates to 1867; it refers to his immigrating to Liberia in Africa. His date of death is unknown as records are absent, but is estimated to be sometime in the 1880s.