Life and Times of Simon: An Enslaved from the Upcountry of South Carolina

https://www.abc10.com/mobile/video/news/community/race-and-culture/the-origins-of-juneteenth-exploring-freedom-day-through-the-life-of-peter-hunt/103-60611fd7-1da4-42d9-8d37-9edb1b4cfa1e

The origins of Juneteenth | Exploring Freedom Day through the life of Peter Hunt A Sacramento family shares how they found their connection to the former slave Peter Hunt.

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After his old master wanted him back, the freed slave’s response is a literary masterpiece Anderson’s letter showed compassion, defiance, and dignity.

A great piece from the History Channel. A must read!

What Was Christmas Like for America’s Enslaved People? For some, it was a rare time of respite; for others, an opportunity for resistance.

Simon's son Toney passed away on 14 February, 1858. Toney left his wife Matilda and his two sons Paul and Toney behind. Matilda and her two sons would eventually live with her in-laws Simon and Crecia.

A SLAVES PRAYER

Words —by J. Pierpont.

Tune — Missionary Hymn.

Almighty god, thou Giver
Of all our sunny plains,
That stretch from sea to river,
Hear’st thou thy children’s chains?
See’st thou the snapper’d lashes
That daily sting a−fresh?
See’st thou the cow−skin’s gashes,
Cut through the quivering flesh?

See’st thou the sores that rankle,
Licked by no pitying dog,
Where, round the bondsman’s ancle,
They’ve riveted a clog?
Hear’st thou the curse he muters?
Seest thou his flashing eye?
Hear’st thou the prayer he utters,
That thou woulst let him die.

God of the poor and friendless,
Shall this unequalled wrong,
This agony, be endless?
How long, O Lord, how long
Shall man set, on his brother
The iron heal of sin,
The Holy ghost to smother—
To crush the God within!

Call out, O God, thy legions—
The hosts of love and light!
Ev’n in the blasted regions
That slavery wraps in night,
Some of thine own anointed
Shall catch the welcome call,
And, at the hour appointed,
Do battle for the thrall.

Let press, let pulpit thunder
In all slave−holders’ ears
Till they disgorge the plunder
They’ve garnered up for years;
Till Mississippi’s valley,
Till Carolina’s coast,
Round Freedom’s standard rally,
A vast, a ransomed host!

Curator Notes
Type: Book

Exact Title:
The Anti−Slavery Offering and Picknick; A Collection of Speeches, Poems, Dialogues, Songs for Schools and A.S. Meetings

Page(s):
186−187

Year:
1843

Author/Creator:
J. Pierpont

Publisher:
H.W. Williams

Place of Publication:
Boston

Institution:
Old Sturbridge Village

"Down By The Riverside"

I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside
I'm gonna study, study, war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
I'm gonna lay down my heavy load
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
I'm gonna lay down my heavy load
Down by the riverside
Gonna study war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more
Yes, laid down Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
I'm gonna lay down my heavy load
Down by the riverside
God is tiding on no more
No more

HISTORY OF THE SONG

Down by the Riverside" is a Negro spiritual. Its roots date back to before the American Civil War, though it was first published in 1918 in Plantation Melodies: A Collection of Modern, Popular and Old-time Negro-Songs of the Southland, Chicago, the Rodeheaver Company. The song has alternatively been known as “Ain' go'n' to study war no mo'”, “Ain't Gwine to Study War No More”, “Down by de Ribberside”, “Going to Pull My War-Clothes” and “Study war no more”. The song was first recorded by the Fisk University jubilee quartet in 1920 (published by Columbia in 1922), and there are at least 14 black gospel recordings before World War II.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF NEGRO SPIRITUALS

Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, Spiritual music, or African-American spirituals) is a genre of songs originating in the United States and created by African Americans. Spirituals were originally an oral tradition that imparted Christian values while also describing the hardships of slavery. Although spirituals were originally unaccompanied monophonic songs, they developed into harmonized choral arrangements.

The term "spiritual" is derived from "spiritual song", from the King James Bible's translation of Ephesians 5:19, which says, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Slave Songs of the United States, the first major collection of Negro spirituals, was published in 1867. The genre was also called "Sorrow Songs", as in W.E.B. Du Bois' The Souls of Black Folk (1903).

Simon was an enslaved who was listed on the plantation journal as a stock minder dealing with all the animals and cattle on Keowee Heights plantation in Pickens District, South Carolina.

In 1854 Col. William Ransom Colhoun wrote in his plantation journal daily activities on the plantation, such as noting what Simon was doing on and off the plantation.

May 1, 1854 (Monday)
-Simon went to sheer sheep for Thomas Lewis.

May 5, 1854 (Tuesday)
-Simon absent from sheering sheep.

May 13, 1854 (Saturday)
- Simon saw all the stock in the range looking well.

CITATION:
Colhoun, Col. William R. "Keowee Heights Plantation Journal, 1853-1857", University of South Carolina's Cooper Library.

https://youtu.be/qo_V6a3-BhA Hello everyone! Watch my cousin Celena Webb's YouTube video, please! She is a student at Clemson University, and she explains the experiences of what it is like to be a black student at the University. Let me know what y'all think with the message box below. Enjoy!!!

The Black Student Experience At Clemson University hi guysssI'm here with a lil video on the african american student experience here at Clemson. This is my "graduation project" if you will. I hope whoever se...

SIMON SAYS: I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving holiday!🦃Gobble, gobble!

Meal time on the plantation with Simon and Ian.

"I didn't know I was a slave until I found out I couldn't do the things I wanted."

-Frederick Douglass