The bone and sinew of the land : America's forgotten black pioneers & the struggle for equality / Anna-Lisa Cox.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York, NY : PublicAffairs, Hachette Book Group, 2018Copyright date: ©2018Edition: First editionDescription: xviii, 280 pages : map ; 25 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781610398107
- 1610398106
- America's forgotten black pioneers and the struggle for equality
- African Americans -- Northwest, Old -- History
- African Americans -- Indiana -- History -- 19th century
- African Americans -- Ohio -- History -- 19th century
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Northwest, Old
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Indiana
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Ohio
- African Americans -- Northwest, Old -- Social conditions
- Northwest, Old -- History -- 1775-1865
- Northwest, Old -- Race relations
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 977.0496 C877 | Available | 33111009207818 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
The long-hidden stories of America's black pioneers, the frontier they settled, and their fight for the heart of the nation
When black settlers Keziah and Charles Grier started clearing their frontier land in 1818, they couldn't know that they were part of the nation's earliest struggle for equality; they were just looking to build a better life. But within a few years, the Griers would become early Underground Railroad conductors, joining with fellow pioneers and other allies to confront the growing tyranny of bondage and injustice.
The Bone and Sinew of the Land tells the Griers' story and the stories of many others like them: the lost history of the nation's first Great Migration. In building hundreds of settlements on the frontier, these black pioneers were making a stand for equality and freedom. Their new home, the Northwest Territory -- the wild region that would become present-day Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin -- was the first territory to ban slavery and have equal voting rights for all men. Though forgotten today, in their own time the successes of these pioneers made them the targets of racist backlash. Political and even armed battles soon ensued, tearing apart families and communities long before the Civil War. This groundbreaking work of research reveals America's forgotten frontier, where these settlers were inspired by the belief that all men are created equal and a brighter future was possible.
Named one of Smithsonian's Best History Books of 2018
Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-262) and index.
"Life, liberty" -- Interlude: "We hold these truths to be self-evident" -- "The pursuit of happiness" -- "And secure the blessings of liberty." -- "To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." -- "Burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people" -- "The right of the people to peaceably assemble." -- "For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments" -- "A history of repeated injuries and usurpations." -- Conclusion: "All men are created equal".
"The American frontier is one of our most cherished and enduring national images. We think of the early settlers who tamed the wilderness and built the bones of our great country as courageous, independent--and white. In this groundbreaking work of deep historical research, Anna-Lisa Cox shows that this history simply isn't accurate. In fact, she has found a stunning number of black settlements on the frontier--in the thousands. Though forgotten today, these homesteads were a matter of national importance at the time; their mere existence challenged rationalizations for slavery and pushed the question toward a crisis--one that was not resolved until the eruption of the Civil War. Blending meticulous detail with lively storytelling, Cox brings historical recognition to the brave people who managed not just to secure their freedom but begin a battle that is still going on today--a battle for equality."--Provided by publisher.