Runaway and Freed Missouri Slaves and Those Who Helped Them, 1763-1865
Runaway and Freed Missouri Slaves and Those Who Helped Them, 1763-1865

Author: Harriet C. Frazier

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9780786418299

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From the beginning of French rule of Missouri in 1720 through this state's abolition of slavery in 1865, liberty was always the goal of the vast majority of its enslaved people. The presence in eastern Kansas of a host of abolitionists from New England made slaveholding risky business. Many religiously devout persons were imprisoned in Missouri for "slave stealing." Based largely on old newspapers, prison records, pardon papers, and other archival materials, this book is an account of the legal and physical obstacles that slaves faced in their quest for freedom and of the consequences suffered by persons who tried to help them. Attitudes of both slave holders and abolitionists are examined, as is the institution's protection in both the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. The book discusses the experiences of particular individuals and examines the Underground Railroad on Missouri's borders. Appendices provide details from two Spanish colonial census reports, a list of abolitionist prison inmates with details about their time served, and the percentages of African Americans still in bondage in 16 jurisdictions from 1820 to 1860.

Writings on American History, 1962-73
Writings on American History, 1962-73

Author: James R. Masterson

Publisher: Washington, D.C. : American Historical Association ; White Plains, N.Y. : Kraus International Publications

Published: 1985

Total Pages: 672

ISBN-13:

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This book "provides a comprehensive listing of the book-length works published from 1962 to 1973 that are relevant to the study of American history [and is] organized into a subject classification system. This bibliography gives access to over 50,000 works on the history, the geography, and the political, social, and economic aspects of the United States, its people, its government, and its institutions. The entries cover the entire area now within the United States or under its jurisdiction, ranging from prehistoric times to 1973"--Introd.

Damn Near White
Damn Near White

Author: Carolyn Marie Wilkins

Publisher: University of Missouri Press

Published: 2010-10-10

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 0826272401

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Carolyn Wilkins grew up defending her racial identity. Because of her light complexion and wavy hair, she spent years struggling to convince others that she was black. Her family’s prominence set Carolyn’s experiences even further apart from those of the average African American. Her father and uncle were well-known lawyers who had graduated from Harvard Law School. Another uncle had been a child prodigy and protégé of Albert Einstein. And her grandfather had been America's first black assistant secretary of labor. Carolyn's parents insisted she follow the color-conscious rituals of Chicago's elite black bourgeoisie—experiences Carolyn recalls as some of the most miserable of her entire life. Only in the company of her mischievous Aunt Marjory, a woman who refused to let the conventions of “proper” black society limit her, does Carolyn feel a true connection to her family's African American heritage. When Aunt Marjory passes away, Carolyn inherits ten bulging scrapbooks filled with family history and memories. What she finds in these photo albums inspires her to discover the truth about her ancestors—a quest that will eventually involve years of research, thousands of miles of travel, and much soul-searching. Carolyn learns that her great-grandfather John Bird Wilkins was born into slavery and went on to become a teacher, inventor, newspaperman, renegade Baptist minister, and a bigamist who abandoned five children. And when she discovers that her grandfather J. Ernest Wilkins may have been forced to resign from his labor department post by members of the Eisenhower administration, Carolyn must confront the bittersweet fruits of her family's generations-long quest for status and approval. Damn Near White is an insider’s portrait of an unusual American family. Readers will be drawn into Carolyn’s journey as she struggles to redefine herself in light of the long-buried secrets she uncovers. Tackling issues of class, color, and caste, Wilkins reflects on the changes of African American life in U.S. history through her dedicated search to discover her family’s powerful story.