Pauline E. Hopkins: A Literary Biography

Appendix

Appendix “APrimerof Facts,” by PaulineE. Hopkins PRELIMINARY REMARKS Hopkins’s treatment of the topic in A Primer of Facts: Pertaining to the Early Greatness of the African Race and the Possibility of Restoration by Its Descendants —with Epilogue Compiled and Arranged from the Works of the Best Known Ethnologists and Historians (1905) is not new, as she says in the subtitle of her study. It is compiled from the arguments of early black nationalists and Ethiopianists, while much of the Christian explanation of the development of different races or scientific explanations of race distinctions rests on muchused sources. The Bible, of course, takes pride of place and manifests itself in numerous passages of biblical interpretation and quotation. Hopkins also quotes directly from at least three books: William Wells Brown’s The Rising Son (1874), Martin R. Delany’s Principia of Ethnology: The Origin of Races and Color (1879), and Rufus L. Perry’s The Cushite; or, The Descendants of Ham (1893). She also knew George Washington Williams’s History of the Negro Race in America, 1619 to 1880 (1883). These are the texts Hopkins quotes from directly. All of them, however, reflect thoughts and scientific ideas prevalent in many other texts. Hopkins’s major message in A Primer of Facts is her insistence upon the position of the black race as a major and active participant in and shaper of the history of humanity. In my annotations I will identify the passages of Brown, Delany, Perry, and Williams that correspond most closely with passages in A Primer of Facts. For the sake of clarity, I will repeat in them some of the information given in the chapter “The Voices of the Dark Races” in the main body of this study. The text has been reset for this publication, and minor spelling and punctuation errors have been corrected on the assumption that Hopkins would have made them had she known about them prior to publication. 292 APrimerofFacts PertainingtotheEarlyGreatnessof theAfrican Race and ThePossibilityof Restorationby ItsDescendants—withEPILOGUE Compiledand ArrangedfromtheWorks of theBestKnown Ethnologists and Historians by PAULINE E. HOPKINS, Author of “Contending Forces,”“Hagar’sDaughter,”“Winona,” “TalmaGordon,” “FamousMenof theNegro Race,”“Famous Womenof theNegro Race,”Etc. PREFACE Facts Versus Theory: “Cities are not great except as men may make them; Men are not great except they do and dare; Yet cities like men, have destinies that take them— That bear them on, not knowing why nor where.” The standing of any race is determined by its mighty works and its men of genius. CHAPTER I. Original Man. THE CREATION OF MAN.—Man began his existence in the creation of Adam, therefore all races of mankind were once united and descended from one parentage.* * The common origin of all mankind was the basic tenet of nearly all African American writers determined to refute the polygenist theories prevalent throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. See Gossett, esp. chap. 1, “Early Race Theories,” 293 294 Appendix WHO BUILT THE FIRST CITY?—Cain built the first city in the land of Nod, and called it after his first born, Enoch.* HOW WAS THE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTERED?—Probably there was no established government, and the head of the family ruled his own household according to traditional customs. WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL MAN?—Until the entry of Noah’s family into the ark, all people were of the one race and complexion. WHAT WAS THE COMPLEXION?—The Hebrew word Adam signifies red. Adam was so called from the color of his skin. His complexion must have been clay color or yellow, resembling that of the North American Indian.† WHAT WAS GOD’S PURPOSE IN THE CREATION OF MAN?—The promotion of his own glory through man’s development and improvement in a higher civilization. The progress of civilization was required of man by God.‡ WHAT AGENCIES PROMOTE CIVILIZATION?—Revolution, conquest and emigration. Of these three, emigration is the most effective.§ From the Garden of Eden to the building of the Tower, there was but one race of people known as such: “And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one and they have all one language.” CHAPTER II. Division of Mankind into Races.|| WHEN AND HOW DID THE ORIGIN OF RACES BEGIN?—The sons of Noah were three in number: Shem, Ham and Japheth. These were the directors and leaders of the people. They all differed in complexion, and a proportionate number of the people differed...