As black Arkansans emerged from chattel slavery in the aftermath of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, they were supported in their efforts to red

Elites have shaped southern life and communities, argues the distinguished historian Willard Gatewood. These essays--written by Gatewood's colleagues and former

Contains primary source material.

The Civil War was just days old when the first enslaved men, women, and children began fleeing their plantations to seek refuge inside the lines of the Union ar

Booker Taliaferro Washington was born in a southern plantation. He was a son of a black slave woman and unknown white man. His mother worked as a cook in a hous