He was a slave who felt too old for freedom but wanted it for others. In a 1787 pamphlet, the religious and well educated Jupiter Hammon urged young African-Americans to pursue freedom, but he warned that spiritual salvation mattered more. He said he was too old to be free and take care of himself, but he wanted freedom for young blacks. He also wanted them to behave in a disciplined, Christian way. He thought sin was a kind of slavery in itself. He advised young blacks to avoid anger and bitterness, to put their faith in God, and to act in a way that no one could criticize. This remained his position until he died some years later, still enslaved. Click here for more about Jupiter Hammon link to "Life Stories: Profiles of Black New Yorkers During Slavery and Emancipation" Close