Obour Tanner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Obour Tanner
|
|
|---|---|
Phillis Wheatley Letter to Obour Tanner, February 7, 1776
|
|
| Baptised | July, 1768 |
| Died | June 21, 1835 |
| Known for | Correspondence with Phillis Wheatley |
Obour Tanner (sometimes spelled Abour or Arbour) was an African woman who lived in Newport, Rhode Island. She was born around 1750 and passed away on June 21, 1835. Obour was enslaved, meaning she was forced to work without pay or freedom. She is best known for being a close friend and pen pal of the famous poet Phillis Wheatley. Obour was the only friend of African descent that Wheatley wrote letters to. She also helped Wheatley sell her book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, in Newport.
Obour Tanner's Early Life
Obour Tanner was enslaved by James Tanner in the early 1760s. James Tanner was a silversmith and slave trader in Newport, Rhode Island. In July 1768, Obour was baptized at the First Congregational Church in Newport. It was common for people to be baptized around age 18. This suggests Obour might have been born in 1750.
Some historians believe Obour and Phillis Wheatley might have traveled to America on the same slave ship in 1761. This ship was called the Phillis. One author, Martha Bacon, wrote in 1964 that Obour Tanner later met with Harriet Beecher Stowe. Obour supposedly told Stowe that she thought she and Phillis came on the same ship. Obour also believed she recognized Phillis when they met in Newport in 1770. This was when Phillis visited Newport with Mary Wheatley.
A scholar named Babacar M'Bye suggests that Wheatley and Tanner used their shared experiences to create a strong friendship. This friendship showed a special connection between Black women.
Letters with Phillis Wheatley
Obour Tanner was Phillis Wheatley's most frequent pen pal. Six letters from Phillis Wheatley to Obour Tanner were found. They were given to the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1863. The person who donated them said she received them from Obour Tanner herself. However, no letters from Obour to Phillis have ever been found.
Through Obour, Phillis Wheatley learned about other African people in colonial New England. For example, she learned about plans to send two African men, Bristol Yamma and John Quamino, as missionaries to West Africa.
According to scholar Tara Bynum, Wheatley's letters to Tanner were very normal. They showed a regular friendship between two women. Wheatley wrote about her book sales and her health. She also shared news about her travels and the death of her mistress.
Later Life and Contributions
On November 4, 1790, Obour Tanner married Barra Collins. Their wedding took place at the First Congregational Church in Newport. The ceremony was led by Reverend Samuel Hopkins.
In 1809, Obour Tanner helped start the African Female Benevolent Society. This group was a "mutual aid society." It helped Black people learn to read and write. This society followed the example of the Free African Union Society, which started in Newport in 1780.
In 1863, when Obour's letters were donated, she was described as a "very little, very old, very infirm, very, very black woman." She was also described as "uncommonly pious, sensible, and intelligent." People in Newport who knew her respected and visited her.
Obour Tanner passed away in Newport, Rhode Island on June 21, 1835.
