Description:

Slavery

Stephen Foster Performs Minstrel Story and Song at Exhibition

 

[STEPHEN FOSTER], Manuscript Document, “Zuberation of Pompey Smash,” c. 1848-1855. 4 pp., 7.75" x 12.5"  Expected folds; tape repair to some splits on folds; some small holes on folds.

 

This combination of African American dialect and song was performed by Stephen Foster. It includes the first stanzas of the song, “The Racoon Hunt” and additions based on the Texians’ defeat of Mexican General Santa Anna. According to the title, it appears “As recited & sung by Mr Foster, in the exhibition.

 

The minstrel song “Pompey Smash” was first published in 1846 in The Negro Singer’s Own Book and soon reprinted in other song books. The original song tells the story of Davy Crockett from the perspective of African-American narrator Pompey Smash, but Foster appropriated the name for this performance. The minstrel song “The Racoon Hunt” appeared as early as 1836, and Foster again varied the lyrics a bit for his own purposes.

 

Although Foster’s family was not abolitionist or even anti-slavery, Foster’s relationship with African Americans was more complicated. He was one of the first songwriters to put enslaved people in his songs, but his use of dialect was also a demeaning caricature. One of his lifelong friends, Charles Shiras, was a prominent abolitionist, but Foster never openly embraced abolitionistism.

 

Excerpts

Now you see, Ladies & Gemmen, I’s gwoin to giv you a sort of a moril, fisical & Politickal zuberation.

 

I had to go and make a speech in Kongris myself, I jump aboard a mocolotive, and I went to Washington city a leetle swifter dan a streek ob gresed fat. I arribe dere an I got at de steps ob de Capital. I felt sort ob flusticated, case you see I’s a bashful youf, you all knows, I’s berry bashful; but den I didn’t pull off my hat more dan twice, nor I didn’t scrape my foot more dan 7 times fore I went in do; well, I got inside, I look around I seed all de Kongris fokes, and de fair set; I gosh, I blush rite red in de face, sum like a stovepipe!

 

Raccoon Hunt, or Setting on a Rale

As I walked out, by de lite ob de moon,

So merrily singing dis same tune,

I cum across a big raccoon,

            A settin on a rale

            A settin on a rale

            A settin on a rale

            A settin on a rale

                        A sleepin very sound.

 

My ole missus ded an gone

A dose ob pison help her on

De debil sung her funeral song

            Bress her let her go

            Bress her let her go

            Bress her let her go

            Bress her let her go

                        And joy go wid her too

 

I spose you all by dis time noe

De Texians hab licked dere foe

Santa Anna foun he was no go

            So he turn his hoss & run

            So he turn his hoss & run

            So he turn his hoss & run

            So he turn his hoss & run

                        But his hoss got stuck in de mud.”

 

But I gosh, if Ide kotched eider Santa Anna or Brack Hawk, I’de

            Rode em on a rale

            Rode em on a rale

            Rode em on a rale

                        “And Ter’d & feddered em too

De Abolition folks you see

Has formed demselves in a siety

To set de Southern niggers free

            Widout dere masters leave

Dey send dere abolition tracs

South & west to all de bracks

Dey tell de niggers to use de ax

            And cut dere massas frotes

            And cut dere massas frotes

            And cut dere massas frotes

            And cut dere massas frotes

                        Dere wives and children too

 

 

Stephen Foster (1826-1864) was born in western Pennsylvania and briefly attended Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He began writing songs at age 14 and wrote more than 280 songs in twenty years. He moved to Cincinnati in 1846 to become a bookkeeper in his brother’s steamship company, and there wrote his first successful songs. He published Foster’s Ethiopian Melodies in 1849, but he made little on his compositions. In 1850, he married Jane McDowell, and they had one child. Repulsed by the vulgar lyrics of many blackface minstrel songs, Foster tried to make the genre popular with respectable people by making the words suitable to their taste. He spent his last four years in New York City, struggling with alcoholism, especially after his wife left him in 1861. He died when he fell and cut his neck on broken glass.

 

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

 

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000