Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was more than America’s most beloved poet; he was a man of great social consciousness, of gentleness and goodness – and the courage of his convictions.

In 1842, on his passage to the United States from England, he wrote seven anti-slavery poems; they were published in December of that year.

In compiling his volume Poems for publication, Longfellow had included the anti-slavery poems. His publisher convinced him not to include them, as it might discourage sales in the South. This was a decision that was not consistent with Longfellow’s character and that he did not honor in future editions of Poems.