Abolitionist Brooklyn: A Sanctuary City Before Its Time
Separated from Southern-sympathizing Manhattan, Brooklyn had one of the largest and most politically aware Black communities in the U.S.
America’s Civil War Reviews: Close Quarters, Profound Trauma
The effects of imprisonment on the senses scarred prisoners for the rest of their lives
American History Reviews: Thurgood Marshall’s Cunning Courtroom Defeat
On the surface, 1941 Oklahoma case was a painful shellacking, but it shocked the country and jumpstarted the civil rights movement
October 16, 1940—Uncle Sam’s Got Your Number, Guys
With war in the wings, the United States began calling men into service in 1940.
Harlem Hellfighter Honored in Graphic Novel
Once-forgotten African American war hero Army Sgt. Henry Johnson is the latest soldier to be featured in a graphic novel series honoring Medal of Honor recipients.
The Man Behind the Double V Campaign
Many may be aware of the Double V campaign, but few know of the 26-year-old who ignited the campaign.
Interview with Edward L. Ayers, Civil War Historian
Ayers argues that America should acknowledge the importance of emancipation with a national holiday.
Why the Civil Rights Movement Was an Insurgency
Military historian Mark Grimsley makes the startling assertion that the American civil rights movement was an insurgency.
A Virginia Slave Schooled in Scotland Made a Bravehearted Bid for His Freedom
Jamie Montgomery failed, but his case set a precedent that ended chattel bondage in Scotland 12 years later
Zephaniah Kingsley: Champion of Free Blacks
Roving merchant and slave trader approved of bondage system but saw freedmen as linchpin
