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I added the lead back in, because there was no explanations why it was deleted. I also found that the poem is in public domain because the author died at 1821 according to her Wikipedia page, Lucy Terry. -- WannaBeEditor ( talk) 02:21, 3 January 2016 (UTC) reply

I have requested merging the historry of Lucy Terry wit this page, but It might be appropriate to move the poem to its author's page, Lucy Terry. -- WannaBeEditor ( talk) 02:45, 3 January 2016 (UTC) reply

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It seems this poem may not actually be solidly independently notable so merging it to the author may be better. Merge as you wish. SwisterTwister talk 02:55, 3 January 2016 (UTC) reply

I disagree with the proposed merger for these reasons:

• First of all, the references given in Lucy Terry indicate that the ballad is "considered the oldest known work of literature by an African American" (I have copied this from text in the Lucy Terry article). This would appear to suggest that it is a significant work in the history of African-American literature.
• I also argue that the ballad should have article independent of its author: its history from 1746 orally passed-down ballad to 1855 written work would appear to me to suggest that may merit a stand-alone article.

What do you think about this?

-- Shirt58 ( talk) 10:20, 3 January 2016 (UTC) reply

@ Shirt58 ( talk, thanks for commenting, I am also leaning in that direction. -- WannaBeEditor ( talk) 11:10, 3 January 2016 (UTC) reply

• Here we have a copy-and-paste, not a cut-and-paste, and both versions have been edited since, causing WP:Parallel histories. Anthony Appleyard ( talk) 06:39, 4 January 2016 (UTC) reply

@ Shirt58 ( talk), don't you think the previous layout (with spaces) was neater?

According to The Commons for 10/27/21, ""Bars Fight" was preserved orally until Nov. 20, 1854, when it was first published in the Springfiled Daily Republican." I do not have the resources to confirm this report. ^[1] AgedCare14 ( talk) 16:57, 28 October 2021 (UTC) reply