General History

What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? (1852) is a speech by Frederick Douglass. Having escaped from slavery in the South at a young age, Frederick Douglass became a prominent orator and autobiographer who spearheaded the American abolitionist movement...

During the Battle of Fort Wagner in 1863, Sgt. William Harvey Carney picked up the fallen flag from his lifeless comrade. He waved the flag for all of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry to see and led the way to the parapet to plant the colors...

In 1854, traveling was full of danger. Omnibus accidents were commonplace. Pedestrians were regularly attacked by the Five Points' gangs. Rival police forces watched and argued over who should help. Pickpockets, drunks and kidnappers were all part of the...

"A readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life." --The Washington PostThe remarkable life of history's first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.Warrior. Samurai. Legend...

Both Sides of the Water: Essays on African-Native American InteractionsBy: Lonnie HarringtonBoth Sides of the Water: Essays on African-Native American Interactions examines specific events regarding the relationship between groups of indigenous people of...

Discover the history of the New Farmers of America in this collection of historic photographs.African Americans have contributed greatly to the history of American agriculture. One of its most compelling stories is the New Farmers of America (NFA), which...

The incredible true story of a blind musician, a brutal crime, and the making of an American folk legend In June 1936 James Lee Strother performed thirteen songs at the Virginia State Prison Farm for famed folklorist John Lomax and the Library of...

The story of the fascinating, fraught alliance among Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Maria Weston Chapman--and how its breakup led to the success of America's most important social movement."Fresh, provocative and engrossing." --New York...

During the Jim Crow era, a group of Atlantic City hotel owners and politicians agreed to designate Missouri Avenue Beach, later nicknamed Chicken Bone Beach, as sandy space where thousands of African American vacationers could enjoy the pleasures of...

Dooky Chase's Restaurant, a New Orleans landmark and celebrated bastion of fine Creole food, has welcomed notable individuals as well as thousands of locals through its doors since opening in 1941. The unquestionable authority in the restaurant's kitchen...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE A major new history of Britain that transforms our understanding of this country's past'I've waited so long so read a comprehensively researched book about Black history on this island. This is it: a journey of...

Reflections of a Colored Girl: A Journey of Resilience and TriumphDive into the heart and soul of America's racial history with "Reflections of a Colored Girl" by Dr. Martha R. Bireda, a riveting memoir that not only narrates the personal life story of...