Enoch Arden - Advertisements Showcasing Failed Reunions of Formerly Enslaved Spouses Post-Civil War

Tanner, Harlow

https://informationwanted.org/folders/show/37

About this folder

This folder contains advertisements which may use the verbiage 'Enoch Arden' indicating the story of a formerly enslaved person looking for their spouse. Originally writtten by Lord Tennyson in 1864, "Enoch Arden" was a poem describing a man's loss of his wife after his extended absence. After the Civil War, advertisements may have utilized the phrasing "Enoch Arden" to grab the attention of white audiences towards stories of formerly enslaved individuals attempting to reconcile their marriages. These stories of Colored Enoch Ardens highlighted similar themes to the original poem such as separation, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.

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