Date
9-17-2026
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Master of Arts in Literature (MA)
Chair
Tess Martinus
Keywords
African American, Literature, American Literature, African American Literature, Literary history, Early American Literature, Jupiter Hammon, American literary identity, Literature, History
Disciplines
American Literature | English Language and Literature
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Jennifer E., "How the African American Contribution to Early American Literature Aided in Shaping the American Literary Identity" (2026). Masters Theses. 1548.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1548
Abstract
This study argues that Jupiter Hammon’s early African American literature actively helped shape American literary identity rather than just mirroring it. By blending Christian morality with human rights, Hammon challenged Eurocentric narratives, validated Black humanity, and established a foundational tradition for anti-slavery writing. Traditional theories often contest this national inclusion through critical viewpoints. These views treat slavery as a distinct model, arguing that these texts represent separate responses to bondage rather than unified contributions to a shared national canon. This research redefines the American literary canon by showing how Hammon's historic publications dismantled eighteenth-century racist ideals about intellectual capacity. His religious rhetoric decoded early theology and protest, proving that early African American voices are vital to understanding a diverse Atlantic experience. Ultimately, Hammon inaugurated a unique literary tradition that contradicts white literature while asserting the true cultural diversity of early America, correcting historical omissions and expanding current scholarship on national identity.
