He began his literary career by the publication of
his “Narrative of a Fugitive Slave ” in 1847. This
was followed by a novel in 1853, “Sketches” from
abroad in 1855, a play in 1858, “The Black Man”
in 1863, “The Negro in the American Rebellion”
in 1867, and “The Rising Son” in 1874. The
Colored Convention in Cincinnati and Cleveland
published reports in this decade and Bishop
Loguen wrote his life history. In 1845 Douglass’
autobiography made its first appearance, destined
to run through endless editions until the last in
1893. Moreover it was in 1841 that the first
Negro magazine appeared in America, edited by
George Hogarth and published by the A. M. E.
Church.
In the fifties James Whitfield published further poems, and a new poet arose in the person of Frances E. W. Harper, a woman of no little ability who died lately; Martin R. Delaney and William Cooper Nell wrote further of Negro history, Nell especially making valuable contributions of the history of the Negro soldiers. Three interesting biographies were added in this decade to the growing number; Josiah Henson, Samuel C. Ward and Samuel Northrop; while Catto, leaving general history came down to the better known history of the Negro church.
In the sixties slave narratives multiplied, like
