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Jennie Carter (after first marriage, Correll; after second marriage, Carter;
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
s, Anna J. Trask and Semper Fidelis; – August 1881) was an American
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
and
essay An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...
ist who wrote for the
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
African-American newspaper African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
'' The Elevator'' from her home in Nevada County, California during the
Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...
. She used the
pen names A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...
Anna J. Trask and Semper Fidelis. Her work covered diverse topics, including
slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
,
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
,
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
, temperance, politics, and immigration, and was widely circulated in late 19th century black communities throughout the
American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is census regions United States Census Bureau As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the mea ...
and nationwide. In the 21st century, with the republication of her essays, her work began to receive wider attention.


Early life

Census records differ on whether Mary Jane was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
or
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. She was born a
free person of color In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (; ) were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not enslaved. However, the term also applied to people born free who we ...
either in 1830 or 1831 and is believed to have spent her early life in New Orleans and New York and her young adulthood in
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
and
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
. Her mother died young, and she was raised by her grandmother. In her essays in ''The Elevator'', she describes a middle-class childhood in which she loved to read and was "passionately fond of music," not assuming "a young lady's position in society until I was somewhat prepared by years."Eric Gardner , ''Jennie Carter: A Black Journalist of the Early West'' Univ. Press of Mississippi, January 1, 2007, p. 7 In one incident, she tells of hiding away in the attic and playing alone with her dolls at the age of fourteen when a potential suitor came to see her. Carter had a younger sister, who died of a
spinal disease Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Spinal column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolo ...
at age ten. Carter later wrote in ''The Elevator'' of how bad she had felt because she had hit her sister three weeks before she died, using the incident to advise her younger readers to refrain from anger. "In my childhood an old man told me if I would observe three things I would enjoy good health. I will say they proved useful to me, and may to others who read your paper. First, keep the head cool and calm. Second, keep the feet dry and warm. Third, keep the heart free from anger," she wrote. Carter writes of several incidents in her childhood and young adulthood when she was confronted with the reality of
slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
. As a child, she watched while a young friend was taken by slave masters away from his mother. While Carter was living with her baby near Hazel Green,
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
in 1850, a young woman followed her from a speaking engagement in
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
to arrive at her home with her own baby, fleeing from slavery. Carter hid the woman in her cellar, then drove her by
horse and buggy A buggy refers to a lightweight four-wheeled carriage drawn by a single horse, though occasionally by two. Amish buggies are still regularly in use on the roadways of America. The word "buggy" has become a generic term for "carriage" in Americ ...
to a
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
"
safe house A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities. Historical usage It may also refer to ...
" a few miles away, and the woman was able to escape to freedom. In another incident, a man who escaped slavery came to her doorstep and Carter was able to help raise funds in the local community for him to continue his journey to freedom. Before writing for ''The Elevator'', Carter worked as a teacher and a
governess A governess is a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching; depending on terms of their employment, they may or ma ...
.


Nevada County and writing career

Carter moved to Nevada County with her first husband, a preacher named Rev. L. J. Correll, around 1860, before the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. Nevada County was an area in the
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
mountains that held several small but growing communities of people who had moved there during the
California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...
, including Nevada City, Marysville, and Grass Valley. This county supported the Union during the Civil War and held about 150-300 African-Americans, who worked in a variety of professions and businesses. Some of them were active in the civil rights movement and had helped to organize the California Colored Convention of 1855. While married to the Reverend, Jennie served as Vice President of the Grass Valley Christian Commission. In 1866, she married her second husband, musician and Civil Rights activist Dennis Drummond Carter and began a life with him in a house filled with musical instruments. The Carters lived on Lost Hill, then on Green Street in Nevada City. In 1867, using the pseudonym Mrs. Trask, Carter wrote to Philip A. Bell, editor of the weekly San Francisco black newspaper ''The Elevator'', offering to write short stories for children to be included in the paper. Bell liked the idea, publishing her letter and a short essay by Carter about her childhood dog in New Orleans in the following issue. Over the next seven years, Carter published over 70 pieces in ''The Elevator''. Her writing expanding beyond stories for children to commentaries on California and national politics,
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
,
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
and suffrage, morality, education, temperance, and many other issues. Later, she began using the pseudonym Semper Fidelis. Since ''The Elevator'' had a circulation that extended throughout the
American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is census regions United States Census Bureau As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the mea ...
, Carter achieved regional and in some cases national exposure for her work. She also published in the
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
paper ''
The Christian Recorder ''The Christian Recorder'' is the official newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is the oldest continuously published African-American newspaper in the United States. It has been called "arguably the most powerful black periodi ...
''. Carter claimed to live in a community called Mud Hill, a town "a great deal prettier than its name would signify," but biographer Eric Gardner has said Mud Hill was a pseudonym. She also claimed to be sixty years old in her columns but was actually 20 years younger. She wrote in a light-hearted way about herself as a "garrulous" old lady and how she managed to "preserve summer in my heart all through my sixty years," by being "not in the least dignified," telling of living a healthy life and skipping rope and playing hide and go seek with the neighbor children. Her writing reveals her wit and an ability to tell important stories by anchoring them in the minutia of daily life. When Carter realized that her articles were expanding beyond advice to children to essays on current issues, she wrote: "Well, Mr. Editor, I see have made a mistake. I commenced writing for the children, and have wound up writing for everybody. May it be excused, with the thousand of others I have made through life."


Views


Racism and colorism

Carter was quick to attack
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
as well as
colorism Discrimination based on skin tone, also known as colorism or shadeism, is a form of prejudice and discrimination in which individuals of the same race receive benefits or disadvantages based on the color of their skin. More specifcally, coloris ...
in her columns. "Children, you hear a great deal said about color by those around you, see attention given white persons by your friends that is wholly unmerited, while those of darker skin are treated with cool neglect. Such are wrong, and that you may avoid like mistakes I write this for you to read. Let your motto be, civility to all, servility to none. Those reminders of bondage we must get out of the way as soon as possible; and while we would treat all with respect, we should not talk about color, light and dark, black and white." Carter used incidents from her and her husband's life to illustrate how they handled the racism they faced. In one column, she writes of how her husband was confronted by whites near
Harper's Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 United States census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers in the lower Shenandoah Valley, where ...
,
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
who told him no black person was allowed to travel after 4PM; in response Dennis Carter calmly offered to beat up 'anyone who laid hands on him.' In another essay she tells of being blocked by a group of white men as she and her husband were out for a walk in Nevada City. "I addressed them in this wise," she wrote: "'Gentlemen, Fenians, illustrious sons of the dominant race of Anglo-Saxons, bold advocates of a white man's Government, supporters of Andy Johnson—will you tell me if a herring and a half cost a penny and a half, how much will eleven pence buy?' And while they were figuring out that difficult problem we passed on."


Women's suffrage

Though she insisted on the importance women played in shaping society, Carter was not a supporter of
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
before black male suffrage, and was critical of white female suffragists who were upset that "inferior" black men had voting rights while they did not. "I think reformers should be careful to govern their prejudices, and if they cannot succeed in all their schemes, not try to pull down the freeman's guarantee erected by a nation's life struggle." "The arena of political life," she believed, "is not woman's proper sphere. She has a higher and more holy mission on this earth. She has an innate purity that shrinks from coarse brutality, obscene jests, horrid oaths, the accompaniments of our election days; and her presence will not restrain men at such times, and women, instead of being the gainer by the contract will be a loser in self respect surely." She and Phillip Bell, who supported women's suffrage, would argue back and forth on the topic in the Elevator.


Travels

Carter travelled throughout Northern California and into
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, sending back her impressions of
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
Carson City Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the 6th most populous city in the state. The m ...
, Nevada City, and Marysville. Of San Francisco, she said it made her sad to think of how little sun the people saw there, and was dismayed at the divisions within the city's black community, so small as to be "a mite on a mountain". The five weeks she spent in Carson City, on the other hand, were "invigorating", and "the black people there were doing well, and had pleasant homes."


Contemporary events

Though she didn't believe in women becoming politicians, she did not hold back from voicing her opinions on the politics of the era, specifically divisions between pro-Slavery Democrats and pro-Union
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. Carter also spoke out about another divisive issue, Chinese immigration, siding firmly with the Chinese immigrants whom many Native born citizens, black and white, were trying to prevent from entering the United States. She called upon her readers to "remember those in bonds as being bound to us." Of the times she lived in, Carter said:


Death

Carter died in Nevada City in August 1881, at the age of 51. Her obituary stated "Sudden Death" of "Dropsy of the Heart.". Her husband Dennis Drummond Carter outlived her and was still living in Nevada City in 1893.


Legacy

Carter's writings began to receive wider critical and historical attention when they were published in Eric Gardner's 2007 book ''Jennie Carter: A Black Journalist of the Early West''. A reviewer in ''American Literary Scholarship'' wrote that her work "remarkably complicates assumptions about blacks' access to the middle class in the late-19th-century West even as it adds to and confirms a rich tradition of post-Gold Rush West Coast journalism." Garder notes that his research into Carter helped uncover little-known black communities in the Sierra Nevadas, which had links to larger urban centers like
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
and
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. Writing like Carter's that was published in black newspapers, along with similar work by
Norris Wright Cuney Norris Wright Cuney (May 12, 1846March 3, 1898) was an American politician, businessman, union leader, and advocate for the rights of African-Americans in Texas. Following the American Civil War, he became active in Galveston politics, serving ...
, Frank Webb and George T Ruby, Gardner said, was an important part of the literary output of 19th century African Americans that was often overlooked. He also notes that because she worked primarily in short essays, she can be compared to
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
and
Bret Harte Bret Harte ( , born Francis Brett Hart, August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...
, both 19th century writers of the American West who also used the short essay form in their work. Gardner speculated that her choice of the pseudonym Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful), suggested that for Carter, "writing is a gesture of faith for the community, in the community, writing about topics that need to be discussed but that might not be discussed," a way to "push people to be involved and think about the issues." The Nevada County historical society has included Carter in their exhibit of late 19th century black pioneers of the Sierra Nevadas. Most of these African-American communities had disappeared by the 20th century, as people left small towns to find jobs in bigger cities. A reenactment video featuring several Jennie Carter essays was filmed at the Doris Foley Historical Library and the Pine Grove Cemetery in Nevada City.url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22m_p3zP4to , url=http://followingdeercreek.com/jennie-carters-thoughts-words-from-nevada-city-1867-1874-video/


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Jennie 1830s births Year of birth uncertain 1881 deaths 19th-century American journalists 19th-century American women journalists Writers from New Orleans 19th-century African-American writers 19th-century African-American women writers 19th-century American writers African-American journalists American essayists Underground Railroad in Wisconsin 19th-century people from California African-American history of California History of Nevada City, California African-American women journalists Free people of color People from Nevada City, California People from Nevada County, California 19th-century pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous women writers