Stephen Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864)

Even as a child, I knew that the beautiful songs that Stephen Foster wrote were bordering on non-PC, before I understood the phrase. As they were part of the minstrel shows (the Christie Minstrels, in particular), they would have been sung in black-face, something that is considered so wrong now.

His songs also voiced black sentiments, about missing family members, and the old folks at home, but from a strictly white perspective. Only later in life did he side with a slavery abolitionist.

The timing of this birth chart is considered accurate because someone has seen his birth certificate. Really?

There are many biographies of Foster, but details differ widely. Among other issues, Foster wrote very little biographical information himself, and his brother Morrison Foster destroyed much information that he judged to reflect negatively upon the family.

Wikipedia

Venus Inconjunct Neptune

This aspect means that your attitudes about love and affection are very idealistic, as will become clearer later in life. Also it can be a sign of creative artistic ability if there are other indications of creativity in your chart. And, of course, you must begin the appropriate training while you are young. (Self-taught.)

Mars Inconjunct Pluto

You have a strong will and always want to have your own way. But very often it seems as if tremendous forces are working to prevent you from getting what you want. If you have this problem, it is because of the way you go about trying to achieve your ends. If you put too much force into your desire to get something, you may unknowingly alienate people because your aggressive manner shows that you will let nothing stop you from getting what you want.

Foster Died Today, 158 Years Ago

Ooh, ooh, me first! Unknown time of death, so the clock is set for noon. Pluto transiting the event Ascendant? Foul deed is suspected. But the only two options given are: ‘accidentally’ cutting his throat when he fell in his apartment; or committing suicide.

Historian JoAnne O’Connell speculates in her biography, The Life and Songs of Stephen Foster, that Foster may have killed himself, a common occurrence during the Civil War. George Cooper, who was with Foster until he died, said: “He lay there on the floor, naked, suffering horribly. He had wonderful big brown eyes, and they looked up at me with an appeal I can never forget. He whispered, ‘I’m done for.'” Unlike Foster’s brother Morrison, who was not in New York and said Foster was ill and cut his neck on a washbasin, Cooper mentioned no broken crockery and also said Foster had a “large knife” for cutting up apples and turnips. Morrison may have covered up Foster’s suicide. Evelyn Morneweck, Morrison’s daughter, also said the family would have covered up the suicide of their uncle if they could have.

Wikipedia

The Yod pointing at Uranus (from the Sun/Midheaven on one hand and the Jupiter/North Node on the other) speaks of a suddenness to the event. But the inconjuncts involving Pluto/Ascendant and Venus, suggests a love rival (in my humble opinion). We will probably never know the truth.