African American History
On October 16, 1859, John Brown and his band of eighteen raiders descended on Harpers Ferry. In an ill-fated attempt to incite a slave insurrection, they seized the federal arsenal, took hostages, and retreated to a fire engine house where they barricaded themselves until a contingent of US Marines battered their way in on October 18. The raiders were routed, and several were captured. Soon after, they were tried, convicted, and hanged. Among Brown's fighters were five African American men--John Copeland, Shields Green, Dangerfield Newby, Lewis Leary, and Osborne Perry Anderson--whose lives and deaths have long been overshadowed by their martyred leader and who, even today, are little remembered. Only Anderson survived, later publishing the lone insider account of the event that, most historians agree, was a catalyst to the catastrophic American Civil War that followed. Five for Freedom is the story of these five brave men, the circumstances in which they were born and raised, how they came together at this fateful time and place, and the legacies they left behind. It is an American story that continues to resonate. Author: Eugene L. Meyer. Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books. Hardcover, 282 pages. Measures 6.25" x 9.25". Weighs 1 lb. 6 oz.
Unlike any other book on the market today, this richly illustrated companion volume uses the remarkable artifacts, images, and documents of the United States National Slavery Museum to trace the entire history of slavery in North America, from the societies of ancient Africa to the repercussions still faced by Americans today--and to celebrate the perseverance and ultimate triumph of a people. Freedom in My Heart goes beyond the textbooks to call forth the unique voices, personal stories, and cultural contributions of slaves and their descendants, demonstrating how enslaved African Americans remained free at heart to develop a vibrant culture in the face of unspeakable inhumanity. Following a foreword by L. Douglas Wilder, the grandson of former slaves and the first African-American elected governor of a U.S. state, ten compelling chapters offer the often unheard testimony of those who witnessed slavery and those whose ancestors endured it. Their voices blend with the contributions of such luminaries as South African leader Nelson Mandela, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, noted journalist Juan Williams, entertainers Bill Cosby and Ben Vereen, and many more. This partnership with the National Slavery Museum grants exclusive access to never-before-seen images, personal letters, and artifacts, which shed new light on slavery and the activities surrounding it. As the museum nears its opening, numerous press events and online features will publicize the book, giving unprecedented exposure at a time of great anticipation and interest. Edited by Cynthia Jacobs Carter. Foreword by L. Douglas Wilder. Publisher: National Geographic. Hardcover, 255 pages. Measures 9.5" x 11". Weighs: 2 lb. 13.4 oz.
The first book of long fiction by an African to be published in English, this novel tells the story of a young woman of the Vai people in Liberia. Guanya Pau, betrothed as a child to a much older, polygamous man, flees her home rahter than be forced into marriage, and the novel recounts her subsequent efforts to reach the Christian community where the man she loves awaits her. Author: Joseph Jeffrey Walters. Publisher: Broadview Press. Paperback, 205 pages. Measures 5.5" x 8.5". Weighs 9.7 oz.
Bookmark featuring a design of the Lockwood House and information about African American history in Harpers Ferry. Gloss cover. Measures 7" x 2.25".
From the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, African Americans in the Washington, D.C. area sought leisure destinations where they could relax without the burden of racial oppression. Local picnic parks such as Eureka and Madre's were accessible by streetcars. Black-owned steamboats ferried passengers seeking sun and sand to places like Collingwood Beach, and African American families settled into quiet beach-side communities along the Western Shore of Maryland. Author and public historian Patsy M. Fletcher reveals the history behind Washington's forgotten era of African American leisure. Train-related excursions chapters including Storer College, Harpers Ferry and Island Park. Author: Patsy Mose Fletcher. Publisher: The History Press. Paperback, 177 pages. Measures 6" x 9". Weighs 14.3 oz.
Jefferson County can proudly claim a large number of firsts when it comes to African Americans in national history. The raid to free slaves that served as a catalyst for the Civil War was led by abolitionist John Brown in Harpers Ferry. The first man wounded in the rebellion was Heyward Shepherd, a free African American and a Jefferson County resident. Pres. Abraham Lincoln appointed Jefferson County native Martin Robison Delany as the first African American field officer of the Civil War. In 1906, the Niagara Movement, forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), held its first meeting on American soil on the Storer College campus. The first woman to become the coach of a men’s college basketball team was also an African American from Jefferson County. Additionally, the Colored Horse Show held in Charles Town was the first of its kind for African Americans. Presented by the Jefferson County Black History Preservation Society, Inc. Foreward by Sen. Robert C. Byrd. Publisher: Arcadia Publishing. Paperback, 127 pages. Measures 6.5" x 9.25". Weighs 10.8 oz.
Bookmark featuring photos of J.R. Clifford, Mary Clifford, and information on J.R. Clifford's role in the Niagara Movement and his time at Harpers Ferry.Gloss cover. Measures 7" x 2.25".
In this succinct study, Edna Greene Medford examines the ideas and events that shaped President Lincoln's responses to slavery, following the arc of his ideological development from the beginning of the Civil War, when he aimed to pursue a course of noninterference, to his championing of slavery's destruction before the conflict ended. Throughout, Medford juxtaposes the president's motivations for advocating freedom with the aspirations of African Americans themselves, restoring African Americans to the center of the story about the struggle for their own liberation. Author: Edna Greene Medford. Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press. Hardcover, 141 pages. Measures 5.25" x 8.25". Weighs 10.6 oz.
A Storer alumnus, Professor Saunders was the longest serving black teacher at the school. A resident of Harpers Ferry for 54 years, he was a trusted spiritual leader and well-known figure throughout the thriving African American community then living beyond Storer’s campus. Author: Lynn Pechuekonis. Publisher: Harpers Ferry Park Association. Paperback, 143 pages. Measures 6" x 9". Weighs 9.8 oz.
