Thomas Branagan

Thomas Branagan (born 1774; died 1843) was an American writer and abolitionist. He is known for his works of literature, particularly Avenia, and for his opposition to slavery.^[1] He was described by English professor Christopher N. Philipps as a "kind of American counterpart to John Newton."^[1] In 1953, he was described by Lewis Leary in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography as "one of America's most prolific authors during the first two decades of the nineteenth century."^[2]

Branagan was born in 1774 in Dublin.^[3] During his adolescence, he ran away from home to pursue a career as a sailor.^[1] Working on slave ships, he progressed through the ranks^[1] and eventually became the overseer of a sugar slave plantation located in Antigua.^[3] After converting to Methodism,^[1] he became morally opposed to slavery^[3] and decided to leave his position to become a preacher.^[1] In about 1798, he immigrated to Philadelphia.^[3]

Branagan wrote extensively on the topic of the evil of slavery, producing six works on the subject from 1804 to 1810.^[1] Four of these works were volumes of poetry.^[1] Avenia, which he published in 1805, was the "first poem of any considerable length" published in America on the subject of the enslavement of African Americans.^[2] In or around 1807, he argued that a black settlement should be created in the Louisiana Purchase territories, which would promote emancipation of slaves while "saving white society" from dangers he believed would occur in a biracial society.^[4] In total, Branagan published 25 works between 1804 and 1839.^[3] Later in his life, he worked as a watchman.^[3] He sent several of his works to American president Thomas Jefferson.^[3]