The Holy Land of Matrimony: The Complex Legacy of the Broomstick Wedding in American History

Many enslaved people in North America married by jumping the broomstick, but following their emancipation in 1865 most newly freed African Americans discarded the tradition. They believed it held embarrassing reminders of a period when black relationships were widely disrespected.  By the late twentieth century, however, the custom recaptured African American interest, building on the popularity of scholarly literature and popular movements that emphasized the unique cultural traditions of enslaved Americans. This article examines the broomstick wedding’s broader appeal in American history, providing context to recent debates surrounding the custom’s pertinence to black and white Americans. I reveal that broomstick weddings were initially produced through transatlantic cultural exchanges during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Couples marrying in broomstick fashion were associated with multiple groups upon the British Isles, such as gypsies and Celtic peoples, as well as poor whites and slaves in North America. Analyzing the ritual’s importance within these various communities provides context for examining the broomstick wedding’s function for enslaved laborers in North America before and after Emancipation. This study then analyzes the custom’s lingering influence in postbellum America and moves beyond the publication of Alex Haley’s Roots as the singular event that restructured African American culture and heritage. We should more appropriately view Roots’ depiction of Kunta Kinte’s broomstick marriage as a product of a preceding literary movement in African American scholarship and folk culture. By examining the ritual’s multicultural origins, this article provides the first detailed analysis of the broomstick wedding’s unique position in American history

“A Divine Kind of Rhetoric”: Rhetorical Strategy and Spirit-Wrought Sincerity in English Puritan Writing

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this record.In their endeavors to persuade their readers and hearers to conversion and godly living, Puritan writers and preachers in early modern England make use of the three modes of persuasion identified by Aristotle: logos (appeal to rational argument), pathos (appeal to emotion), and ethos (appeal to the perceived credibility of the speaker). Although deploying rhetorical techniques, Puritan writers seek to manifest a Spirit-wrought sincerity, understood as earnest expression flowing from doctrinal conviction, inward spiritual experience, and a heartfelt desire to persuade others. This article explores these dynamics in the works of William Perkins, Richard Sibbes, Richard Baxter, and John Bunyan

The Form of Prayer and the Spirit of Prayer: George Herbert and John Bunyan in Conversation

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the link in this recor

The challenges facing English schools in the journey to 2030, with a specific focus on London

By the end of the twentieth century, there was concern about the low levels of achievement in many English schools – particularly those in London – and this acted as a catalyst for change, a key remedial initiative being London Challenge. While there is much to celebrate about the improvements that have been made over almost two decades, the next decade presents a number of challenges that will have to be faced if the schools are to continue on their success trajectory to 2030. This article explores some of these challenges. Key must be an education master plan, particularly because of the uncertainties resulting from Brexit