In at least 100 words explain what evidence there is to support the idea that Whiteley’s poems marked the beginning of the African-American literary tradition.

It was a cold, foggy morning, and Julie was in no mood to take her dog, Snoopy, out for a walk in the bitter cold. Snoopy himself seemed reluctant to leave his bed near the fireplace. Julie got up and sat with Snoopy near the window of their house, soaking in the warm sunlight. Suddenly, she heard some commotion outside her front door, and hurriedly went to see what it was. As she opened the door, a young, scruffy looking man started running, with the milk bottles he had stolen from her front porch. Snoopy took after the man, ignoring the bitter cold, while Julie ran after them, still in her night robe and slippers. Snoopy tripped two newspaper boys and overturned a garbage can as he pursued the fleeing thief. As Julie turned a corner, she saw the thief slip on the hard ice, milk bottles flying, as Snoopy leaped and caught one of them in his mouth. The thief got away, but Snoopy came back happily, his tail wagging, to return the bottle to an exhausted Julie, expecting his breakfast.