Africans in America: America's Journey Through Slavery

The rich cast of characters goes far beyond the usual view of the founding fathers - we see them as black Americans saw them, as slaveholders and lawmakers both. The first part of this book chronicles the development of racial slavery in the English colonies. Next we see how the words of the colonists, as they fight for independence, are heard by the Africans in chains. Then, the new African American leadership of free blacks and fugitive slaves emerges, seeking full participation in American democracy. Finally, as the country expands westward, the abolitionist movement and the issue of slavery polarize the nation and move it toward civil war. Africans in America transcends history as we were taught it. It brings us into the lives and minds of African Americans, retelling our mythic story in a new way.