Transatlantic Visions and Revisions of Race: Hawthorne, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, and the Editing ofJournal of an African Cruiser

Abstract

A strong argument can be made that Journal of an African Cruiser, by an Officer of U.S. Navy (1845) should be included in The Centenary Edition of Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, for evidence indicates that his editing of manuscript of his friend Horatio Bridge was a major creative effort. When Hawthorne submitted edited text to Evert Duyckinck, who published book as first volume of Wiley and Putnam's of America Books, he admitted, My own share of it is so amalgamated with substance of work, that I cannot very well define what it is. (1) one of few substantial studies of project, Patrick Brancaccio observes that Hawthorne served more as a ghostwriter than editor, and points out that the thematic organization and ironic and morally ambiguous point of view clearly betray Hawthorne's (Brancaccio 33). A comparison of a portion of Bridge's 1843-44 manuscript journal (in Berg Collection at New York Public Library) with published book has revealed that Hawthorne ameliorated Bridge's racism, softened his callousness, and made him a more introspective and peace-loving author, much like Hawthorne himself. (2) Hawthorne, however, I have found, was not only editor of Journal of an African Cruiser. Joseph Jenkins Roberts, black Governor of Liberia, edited book as well, at request of Bridge, who took published book with him to Africa in 1846, on his third cruise to region, and asked his friend Roberts to offer corrections and revisions for a second edition, which Roberts did. The bound 1845 book contains Roberts' marginalia in ink on pages and his commentary in Bridge's hand on pieces of paper of various sizes, tipped onto printed pages, with quotation marks and Roberts' initials. The expanded and revised second edition of Journal of an African Cruiser was never published (a reprint of first edition appeared in 1853, with Bridge's name on title page for first time); however, materials Bridge collected exist in Bridge's personal copy of book and in 1846 manuscript journal Bridge kept on his voyage (both preserved in Bowdoin College Library Special Collections). front and back of 1846 journal, Bridge wrote following note: In case of my death I wish this journal and my copy of 'Journal of an African Cruiser' in which I have made notes, given to my friend Nath. Hawthorne Esq of Salem Mass. For his own use & benefit. (3) Bridge obviously hoped that someday he or Hawthorne could prepare new volume for publication. Some of topics Bridge elaborated upon in his new material were price of slaves, forms of government of native tribes, native religion, trial of witchcraft, racial mixing of Britains and natives on Gold Coast, vices of civilization acquired by natives, and nature of fever and sickness visited upon outsiders to region. For most part, Governor Roberts added little on these topics. What he addressed most frequently and firmly with his comments and corrections were racial issues, specifically assumptions Bridge and Hawthorne made about importance of race among whites, black settlers, and West African natives. As I hope to show in this essay, an examination of Roberts' diplomatic critique of Bridge-Hawthorne book provides a rare opportunity to see a transatlantic social text being created. The process features a self-taught American-African trying to educate two white Bowdoin College graduates living across Atlantic. I his 1846 journal, Bridge acknowledged help of both friends in his ongoing authorship: When I returned from an African cruise and gave my journal and memoranda to a close friend and classmate [Hawthorne] to be edited and published, it was with little expectation of producing, by our joint labors, so successful a volume. From different causes however it proved one of popular effemerals of time. …