Abigail Mandana Holmes Christensen
Encyclopedia
Abigail Mandana Holmes Christensen (1852–1938) was an American collector of folklore.
Abigail ("Abbie") Christensen was born in Massachusetts
to abolitionist parents, her family later moved to South Carolina
. She investigated the African origin of the folklore recorded in the region, forwarding selections to newspapers and journals, she eventually published several works on African-American tales and dialect. Christensen was, for a short time, a member of the American Folklore Society
and published in its journal. She sympathised with contemporary movements concerning temperance, protest on inequality, and other socialist causes, but gave special regard was given to the plight of the peoples from whom she gathered her material. Her major work was Afro-American folk lore: told round cabin fires on the Sea Islands of South Carolina, Christensen intended that profits from this be used to advance African American equality and self determination, she assisted in the funding of the Port Royal Agricultural School for this purpose. Christensen's paper on African-American spiritual
s and shout
s was read to attendees at the World's Columbian Exposition
.
Abigail ("Abbie") Christensen was born in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to abolitionist parents, her family later moved to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. She investigated the African origin of the folklore recorded in the region, forwarding selections to newspapers and journals, she eventually published several works on African-American tales and dialect. Christensen was, for a short time, a member of the American Folklore Society
American Folklore Society
The American Folklore Society is the US-based professional association for folklorists, with members from the US, Canada, and around the world. It was founded in 1888 by William Wells Newell, who stood at the center of a diverse group of university-based scholars, museum anthropologists, and men...
and published in its journal. She sympathised with contemporary movements concerning temperance, protest on inequality, and other socialist causes, but gave special regard was given to the plight of the peoples from whom she gathered her material. Her major work was Afro-American folk lore: told round cabin fires on the Sea Islands of South Carolina, Christensen intended that profits from this be used to advance African American equality and self determination, she assisted in the funding of the Port Royal Agricultural School for this purpose. Christensen's paper on African-American spiritual
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
s and shout
Ring shout
A shout or ring shout is an ecstatic, transcendent religious ritual, first practiced by African slaves in the West Indies and the United States, in which worshipers move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping their hands...
s was read to attendees at the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
.