Maurice N. Corbett (1859-1931): Author Page
This biography was researched and written by Sarah Thompson in July 2024
Born in 1859 in Yanceyville, Caswell, North Carolina, Maurice N. Corbett was born to a slave mother who was owned by Captain James Poteat. The Poteat family adopted Corbett as a part of their family, calling him “The Black Sheep.” A Shaw University graduate, Corbett became a prominent political figure and educated school teacher. He began his career teaching school in Yanceyville but quickly emerged as a key organizer for the Republican Party. In 1885, he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives from Caswell County, defeating his white counterpart in a contested election. His political journey continued in Washington, D.C., where he worked as a private secretary for Congressman Tom Settle in 1896, a position that stirred some controversy in the press because of Corbett’s racial identity. Corbett then worked for multiple printing presses. He married Elvira Gertude Henderson in November 1865, and together, they had three children. While the exact year of his death is unknown, census reports suggest he died after 1931 at approximately 73 years old.
Although Maurice Corbett is primarily recognized for his political contributions, his impact on African American poetry is also noteworthy. Corbett held various local and state political offices in the 1890s in Caswell County, an area renowned for its effective Union Leagues organized by freedpeople. His poetry collection The Harp of Ethiopia (1914) is a significant contribution to nineteenth-century African American poetry. Through a long chronological narrative, Corbett traces Black accomplishments from ancient Near East and Africa to contemporary times, including African people before enslavement and transport (see “Liberia”), the experience of Black people during slavery (see “Negro Labor Changed Dixie”), various forms of resistance and uprisings, including the Haitian revolution (see “Hayti”), the American Civil War (see “The First Colored Regiment (1st South Carolina) and Port Hudson” or “Secession and Sumpter”), Emancipation (see “Emancipation and Proclamation and Arming of Blacks”), the Reconstruction (see “The Ku Klux Klan Born”), the Spanish-American War (see “Cuba” or “Philippine War”), and into the early 20th century (see “Black Kingdoms of the Future”). Primarily in rhyming couplets, Corbett gives a history of the Black diaspora. Corbett concludes the collection with poems prophesying high achievements in politics and art of Black Americans. This collection is designed to awaken racial pride and celebrate the rich history and potential of African Americans.
Works Cited
Corbett, Maurice Nathaniel, Caswell County Genealogy, www.caswellcountync.org/getperson.php?personID=I39285&tree=tree1. Accessed 22 July 2024.
Downs, Gregory P.. Declarations of Dependence: The Long Reconstruction of Popular Politics in the South, 1861-1908. United States, University of North Carolina Press, 2011.
Parini, Jay, and Miller, Brett C.. The Columbia History of American Poetry. United States, Columbia University Press, 1993.