Edited by Paul Finkelman
It is impossible to understand America without understanding the history of
African Americans. In nearly seven hundred entries, the
Encyclopedia of African
American History, 1619-1895 documents the full range of the African American
experience during that period—from the arrival of the first slave ship to the death of
Frederick Douglass—and shows how all aspects of American culture, history, and national
identity have been profoundly influenced by the experience of African Americans. This
landmark achievement, originally published in three volumes, is now available for the
first time as an easily-searched, quick access e-book.
The
Encyclopedia
covers an extraordinary range of subjects. Major topics such as “Abolitionism,” “Black
Nationalism,” the “Dred Scott case,” “Reconstruction,” “Slave Rebellions and
Insurrections,” the “Underground Railroad,” and “Voting Rights” are given the in-depth
treatment one would expect. But the encyclopedia also contains hundreds of fascinating
entries on less obvious subjects, such as the “Black Seafarers,” “Buffalo Soldiers,” the
“Catholic Church and African Americans,” “New York African Free Schools,” the “Secret
Six,” and much more. In addition, the
Encyclopedia offers brief biographies of
important African Americans—as well as white Americans who have played a significant
role in African American history—from Crispus Attucks and John Brown to Olaudah Equiano,
Frederick Douglass, Sarah Grimke, Nat Turner, Phillis Wheatley, and many others.
All of the
Encyclopedia's entries are accessibly written and free of
jargon and technical terms. Selective bibliographies and cross-references accompanying
each article direct readers to related entries within the
Encyclopedia and to
primary sources and scholarly works beyond it. A chronology of major events and nearly 300 black and white illustrations enhance the work's usefulness.
Paul Finkelman is the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy at
Albany Law School. He is the author of over 100 scholarly articles and 20 books. From
1999 to 2006, he was the Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of
Tulsa College of Law.
e-reference edition ISBN: 9780195386479
Print edition ISBN: 9780195167771
Print edition publication date:
2006
Publishing history: First published in 2006
Copyright: © Oxford University Press 2006
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