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The American Female Poets: With Biographical and Critical Notices

100% Complete

309 Total pages

156 Contributing members

The American Female Poets: With Biographical and Critical Notices

Phillis Wheatley Peters (c. 1753 – 1784) was born in West Africa and captured by slave traders as a child, whereupon she was sold to John and Susanna Wheatley of Boston, Massachusetts. She was named after the slave ship on which she was transported to the Americas and the name of her enslavers, but her surname of Peters is that of the man she married in 1778—John Peters, a free man of color. The story of the discovery of her talent by the Wheatley family is oft told—they taught her to read and write, and by age fourteen, she had begun to write poetry that was soon published and circulated amongst the elites of late eighteenth century America and Great Britain. Her first and only volume of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773), was published in London with the assistance of wealthy abolitionists. Peters’ poetry brought her renown in abolitionist circles as proof of the humanity of those of African descent and the inhumanity of the institution of slavery. The Wheatleys manumitted Peters in 1773 under pressure from critics who saw the hypocrisy in praising Peters’ talent while keeping her enslaved. They died within a few years of this decision, and Peters soon met and married grocer John Peters. Her life afterwards was indicative of the troubled freedom of African Americans of the period, who were emancipated but not fully integrated into the promise of American citizenship. Peters was also affected by the loss of all three of her children—the birth of the last of whom caused her premature death at age 31 In 1784. Despite being feted as a prodigy while enslaved, the emancipated Peters struggled to find the support necessary for producing a second volume of poetry and her husband’s financial struggles forced her to find work as a scullery maid—the lowest position of domestic help. Posthumous publications of Peters’ poetry in various anthologies and periodicals solidified her image as a child poet for the benefit of abolitionist activism and African American cultural pride in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In the twenty-first century, the accumulation of this collection is a restoration of Peters the woman and the influence of her poetry and activism today.

Browse projects by National Museum of African American History and Culture

100% Complete

180 Total pages

99 Contributing members

The Art of Handwriting

Please help us transcribe these letters in the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art. Your transcriptions will be featured in an forthcoming publication, "The Art of Handwriting." In our age of e-mails, texts and tweets, when handwritten letters have ceased to be a primary mode of person-to-person communication, this book will explore what we can learn from the handwriting of artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Isamu Noguchi, Jackson Pollock, and Thomas Eakins.

Browse projects by Archives of American Art

Subprojects

100% Complete

36 Total pages

46 Contributing members

The Black Scholar Vol. 4 No. 2

“The Black Scholar: A Journal of Black Studies and Research” was founded in 1969 by Robert Chrisman and Nathan Hare in San Francisco, California. The Black Scholar offered a place for dialogue among African American scholars, activists, and artists. Essays in the journal recorded, analyzed, and debated various aspects of social, gender, sexuality, and ideology in African Americans life and the efforts made to change them. “The Back Scholar” is still published today and maintains its place as the leading forum for African American politics, culture, and activism in the United States. Help us transcribe this important journal that offers a glimpse into African American politics, life, and community during this period.

Browse projects by National Museum of African American History and Culture

100% Complete

458 Total pages

49 Contributing members

The Bombacaceae Family - complete

Please join us in transcribing the Bombacaceae plant family. The Bombacaceae is the family of many fascinating and economically important plants, including the durian, balsa, kapok and baobob. Here are some interesting facts: Durian is known for its large size, strong odor and thorn covered husk, and considered by many as the "king of fruits". The baobob flowers also emit a strong smell, that of carrion, and attract bats that pollinate the flowers. Kapok is a gigantic tree of the tropical forest canopy and the mass of silky fibers from the fruit can be used to fill mattresses. Lastly, balsa, with its soft lightweight wood, is used in the blades of wind turbines. Contact Sylvia Orli, Department of Botany NMNH, for any questions on this project.

Browse projects by NMNH - Department of Botany

100% Complete

77 Total pages

11 Contributing members

The Bumblebee Project - Set 1

Please help us create digital records for the United States National Entomological Collection! We will be transcribing the labels of specimens of bumblebees. Bumblebees are found in the Bombus genus (Hymenoptera: Apidae). They are social insects that feed on nectar and collect pollen to feed their young. Bumblebees are very important pollinators! Learn how to transcribe this project and get started. The digitization of this project has been made possible with the generous support of Pixel Acuity, LLC. Please contact Jessica Bird (birdj@si.edu), Department of Entomology, for any questions or comments about the transcriptions and thanks to all of you for your help!

Browse projects by NMNH - Department of Entomology