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268:(1856-1931), a noted author-historian, defended Priest's style of writing, saying, "I'm aware that Priest is not altogether trustworthy as a historian; yet he concedes to his works "a large amount of historic material obtained at some pains from sources more or less authentic."... Priest is least trustworthy in his more ambitious work; whereas his unpretentious pamphlets... contain true narratives of individual undertakings in the Revolution, Indian captivities and other pioneer experiences, gathered by the writer direct from the hero whose adventures he wrote down, without literary skill... but also without apparent perversion or exaggeration." Priest recorded stories of Native American atrocities against white settlers that otherwise may have been forgotten. However, his selection of stories was biased towards portrayals of Native Americans as violent.
198:. The reasoning Priest gives for his conclusion that there was an even earlier settler than the Native Americans relies upon his own Biblical interpretation of the flood story. According to Josiah, after the great flood disappeared, Noah and his ark landed on America. While surveying the land, Noah also discovered mounds that had been constructed before the waters rose up. Upon seeing this, Noah questioned where these agricultural phenomena came from. "Surveying the various themes of mound builder origins, he could not decide whether the mounds were the work of Polynesians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Israelites, Scandinavians, Welsh, Scotts, or Chinese, although he felt certain the Indians had not built them."
244:. Priest claims that Noah's three sons were each a different color. The black offspring was named Ham, which Priest says was a word Egyptians used to identify objects that were black. He goes on to assert that Ham was cursed from birth to be a servant. As a consequence of his sins, all his people would also suffer the fate of slavery. Priest writes, "The appointment of this race of men to servitude and slavery, was a judicial act of God, or in other words was a divine judgment." Multiple revised editions of this book were republished in the 1850s under the title,
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Ham and all of his descendants were destined to be slaves. He argues that, due to the black's inferior attributes, they possessed a need to be enslaved. His book discusses how a black man's physical stature and skin, as opposed to those of a white man, are designed to be more durable and therefore intended for hard manual labor.
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When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend
Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live
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Priest provides three pieces of evidence for why the Bible justifies the enslavement of black people. He says that the blacks were created with lower intelligence and more irrational behavior than other colors of man, suiting them as servants. He cites a verse in the Book of
Genesis that states that
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His writing about
American prehistory—and this comment is not made entirely to be humorous—might be classified as science fiction or fantasy as well as a subgenre of American Romanticism, the elements of which are pronounced in the early products of popular culture. Winthrop Hillyer Duncan writes,
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myth" and still has supporters in society today. The book grew in popularity because of Priest's views on Native
Americans. "It tapped into the widely accepted view of those times that Native Americans were merely bloodthirsty savages, bent on the destruction of all but their own race. It was
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Bible defence of slavery and the origins, fortune, and history of the Negro race, as deduced from history, both sacred and profane, their natural relations--moral, mental, and physical--to the other races of mankind, compared and illustrated--their future destiny predicted,
82:. He grew up during a time when the United States was first establishing itself as a nation. Little specific is known about his schooling, but it is assumed that he received a basic primary and secondary education. At the age of 24 he married Eliza Perry from
102:, mainly fashioning saddles and harnesses. He and Eliza conceived and raised a total of ten children. He was reportedly well-liked by the churchgoers for his dramatic performance during the sermons, several of which were published. Priest's
303:. In this respect, he can be considered a pioneer in popular but highly erroneous publishing. The popularity of his works allowed Americans of his time to indulge in romantic fantasies about the past that encouraged their own racism.
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The
Wonders of Nature and Providence, Displayed, compiled from Authentic Sources, Both Ancient and Modern, Giving an Account of Various and Strange Phenomena Existing in Nature, of Travels, Adventures, Singular Providences,
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Priest was known for integrating many types of sources into his writings, seeking to create a semblance of authority and credibility for a popular audience. Priest's fantastic assertions persist today in the works of
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literature. Although his work was widely read and several of his works were published in multiple editions, his books were characterized by theories that were used to justify the violent domination over both the
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inconceivable to Priest and like-minded men that a race so lazy and inept could conceive and build such huge, elaborate structures." Priest speculated that the original dwellers could be the
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notes, "The argument he constructs is built on literal interpretations of
Biblical passages mixed with popular pseudo-scholarly views and gross misreadings of related texts."
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The anti-universalist, or
History of the fallen angels of the scriptures: Proofs of the being of satan and of evil spirits and many other curious matters connected therewith
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These tribes made up the
Kingdom of Israel in Biblical times. When Assyria left their kingdom in ruins, the tribes disappeared and were never seen again.
264:. His narratives suggest a preoccupation with racial conflicts, since they focus mainly on soldiers who had been held in captivity by Native Americans.
209:, Native Americans who were engaged in bloody and violent battles were frequently represented by the dominant culture as savages and threats to peace.
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Priest decided to give up his profession as a leather worker and become a writer. His first book, in a genre now identified as
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sold in the thousands. Although Priest appears to have been poorly educated, he attempted to portray himself as an
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Harpster, Jack; Stalter, Jeff. "Captive! The Story of David Ogden and the
Iroquois." ABC-CLIO, LLC., 2010, p. xi.
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Priest, Josiah. "Slavery, As It
Relates to the Negro, or African Race." C. Van Benthuyen & Co., 1843, p.83.
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writer of the early 19th century. His books and pamphlets, which presented both standard and speculative
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Silverberg, Robert. "The Mound Builders." Ohio UP, 1986, pp. 65-66, cited in De Villo Sloan, 2002.
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that had inhabited America even before the Native Americans. This idea is now referred to as the "
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Priest's clear bias against Native Americans probably derived from stories he heard during the
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Sloan, De Villo (2002) "The Crimsoned Hills of Onondaga: Josiah Priest's Hallucinatory Epic,"
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In addition to his books, Priest wrote several pamphlets focusing on heroes of the
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in Ohio and New York, Priest concluded that these mounds could be traced back to a
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Bible defence of slavery or, The origin, history, and fortunes of the Negro race
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Another work in which Priest uses Biblical interpretation as a central theme is
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This 400-page publication centered around Priest's own study of the Bible and
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Bible defence of slavery and origins, fortune, and history of the Negro race
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Silverberg, Robert. "The Mound Builders." cited in De Villo Sloan, 2002.
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journals, supplemented by information from his travels. After visiting
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and the defense of slavery that contributed to the conflicts of the
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The Crimsoned Hills of Onondaga: Josiah Priest's Hallucinatory Epic
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in his books. Priest is often identified as one of the creators of
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Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory.
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Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory.
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Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory.
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in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”
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of his time. Priest's works help set the stage for the
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Slavery, As It Relates to the Negro, or African Race.
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Origin and History of the Negro Race - Fifth Section
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Slavery, As It Relates to the Negro, Or African Race
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are evident throughout his work. Josiah Priest knew
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Captive! The Story of David Ogden and the Iroqouis.
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