Jupiter Hammon Quotations

When I was at Hartford in Connecticut, where I lived during the war, I published several pieces which were well received, not only by those of my own colour, but by a number of the white people, who thought they might do good among their servants.

Let all the time you can get be spent in trying to learn to read.

If you see most people neglect the Bible, and many that can read never look into it, let it not harden you and make you think lightly of it, and that it is a book of no worth.

It is our duty to be faithful, not with eye service as men pleasers.

If a servant strives to please his master and studies and takes pains to do it, I believe there are but few masters who would use such a servant cruelly.

I suppose I have had more advantages and privileges than most of you, who are slaves have ever known, and I believe more than many white people have enjoyed, for which I desire to bless God, and pray that he may bless those who have given them to me.

As we depend upon our masters, for what we eat and drink and wear, and for all our comfortable things in this world, we cannot be happy, unless we please them.

All the time spent idly, is spent wickedly, and is unfaithfulness to our masters.

If there was no Bible, it would be no matter whether you could read or not. Reading other books would do you no good.

Besides all this, if you are idle, and take to bad courses, you will hurt those of your brethren who are slaves, and do all in your power to prevent their being free.