Incidents in the life of a slave Girl
By: Harriet Jacobs
Jacobs never uses her real name but calls herself instead “Linda Brent.” The other characters in the book are also given pseudonyms. Jacobs tells us in the Preface to the book (signed “Linda Brent”) that she changed names in order to protect the privacy of indiduals but that the incidents recounted in the narrative are no fiction. Jacobs was born in slave rural North Carolina. As a young girl, she learned to read and write, which was highly rare among slaves. At about the age of 11 she was sent to live as a slave to a doctor who also owned a plantation, called “Dr. Flint” in the book.
Voice of the Buffalo Soldier
By: Frank N. Schubert
Any military or black studies library strong in early American military history will find VOICES OF THE BUFFALO SOLDIER to be an excellent survey of the black military experience on the plains frontier. Records and reports provide source material of such service, with vintage black and white illustration adding visuals to the historic presentation.
Legends, Lies and cherished Myths of American History
By: Richard Shenkman
A quick summary of how newer historical research can debunk self-serving or nostalgic representations of historical events and figures. What gives the book its poignancy, especially 20 years after its first publication, is how little most Americans even know the false “facts” that are debunked here. Do most Americans today believe that President Harding committed suicide, that the Underground Railroad helped tens of thousands of slaves escape, that Teddy Roosevelt charged up San Juan Hill
Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania
By: William J. Switala
Maps the escape routes and networks told by th Eyewitness accounts of fugitives. Organized in antebellum America to help slaves escape to freedom, the Underground Railroad was cloaked in secrecy and operated at great peril to everyone involved. The system was extremely active in Pennsylvania, with routes running through cities and towns in all parts of the state. This book also discusses the large city networks, the houses and sites where escapees found refuge, and records the names of the people who risked their lives to support the operation