The Development of African American Literature from The Seventeenth Till The Nineteenth Century

Abstract

African Americans suffered from slavery for many years. They were mistreated and tortured, forced to do hard tasks, and deprived from their basic rights. Although these people were victims of the white race supremacy, they didn’t have the ability to defend their rights. Due to these reasons, they resorted to Literature as a means of self expression. Escaped slaves from the South began writing about their life experiences under the bondage of slavery. They aimed to portray the atrocity of this nonhuman practice and its negative impact on the blacks and the American society. In fact, literature was a way of gaining freedom. Consequently, many notable writers appeared on the literary scene and whose influence played an important role in the abolishment of slavery. The Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements contributed greatly in the development of African American literature. Over the course of time, African American literature became an essential part of American literature and culture. This study is an attempt to provide the reader with an overview on how African American literature developed throughout time.