Joshua McCarter Simpson (ca. 1820 - April 20, 1877) was a store proprietor, herbalist, poet and lyricist in the United States. He lamented the enslavement of African Americans, called out the hypocrisy of white Christian abusers, and denounced the brutal treatment and discrimination African Americans received. His songs were published in 1854 as ''The Emancipation Car: Being an Original Composition of Anti-Slavery Ballads, Composed Exclusively for the Underground Railroad''. His work was well known and widely circulated during his lifetime. Alternative first (John) and last names (McCarty) have been noted. He was fostered before being leased out as an orphan. He was indentured until age 21. He attended an Abolitionist school in Big Bottom, Ohio and

Oberlin Collegiate Institute Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second-oldest continuously operatin ...

Oberlin, Ohio Oberlin () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located about southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 8,555 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin ...

. He wrote anti-slavery verses and set them to popular tunes. He had a store and medical practice in

Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville is a city in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Licking River (Ohio), Licking and Muskingum River, Muskingum rivers, the city is approximately east of Columbus, Ohio, Columb ...

. Vicki L. Eakler wrote a master's thesis on him in 1982 at Washington University in St. Louis. The ''Zanesville Courier'' reported his death April 20, 1877 and ran an obituary for him the following day.

Songs

*"The Proclamation Day" to the tune of The Prisoner's Hope / Tramp! Tramp!! Tramp!!! words and music by

George Frederick Root George Frederick Root (August 30, 1820August 6, 1895) was a romantic American composer, who found particular fame during the American Civil War, with songs such as " Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!" and " The Battle Cry of Freedom". He is regarded as the ...

published by Root & Cady *"Let the Banner Proudly Wave" to "Nearer Our Happy Home" *"The Fifteenth Amendment" *"The Grand Jubilee", to the tune of " Annie of the Vale" *"Away to Canada" to the tune of " Oh Susanna" *"To the White People of America" to the tune " Massa's in the Cold, Cold Ground" a minstrel song composed by New York songwriter

Stephen Foster Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826January 13, 1864), known as "the father of American music", was an American composer known primarily for his parlour music, parlour and Folk music, folk music during the Romantic music, Romantic period. He wr ...

in 1852 *"A Brother's Farewell (A Scene at the Slave Pen)" to the tune of Stephen Foster's "

Hard Times Come Again No More "Hard Times Come Again No More" (sometimes, "Hard Times") is an American parlor song written by Stephen Foster. It was published in New York City by Firth, Pond & Co. in 1854 as Foster's Melodies No. 28. Well-known and popular in its day, both in ...

" *"No, Master, Never" to " Pop Goes the Weasel" *"Song of the Aliened American" to the tune of "

My Country, 'Tis of Thee "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", also known as "America", is an American patriotic song whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The song served as one of the ''de facto'' national anthems of the United States (along with songs like " Hai ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Joshua McCarter 1820s births 1877 deaths 19th-century American poets Abolitionists from Ohio African-American poets Poets from Ohio

Songs

See also

References