| Author | Alexander, Leslie M.
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| Title | African or American? : Black identity and political activism in New York City, 1784-1861 / Leslie M. Alexander.
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| Published | Urbana, Illinois : University of Illinois Press, c2008.
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| Description | xxiv, 258 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
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| ISBN | 9780252033360 |
| ISBN | 0252033361 |
| Bib. Note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-248) and index.
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| Formatted Note | Contents: Preface: "Onward forever" -- "Men and women who would be free," 1784-1810 -- "To leave the house of bondage," 1810-1826 -- "Of what use are processions?" 1827-1829 -- "Our own native land," 1830-1839 -- "Unity is the condition of success," 1837-1849 -- "A heavy and cruel hand has been laid upon us," 1850-1861 -- "The story of Seneca Village," 1825-1857 -- Epilogue: "Still marching on."
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| Summary Note | Summary: During the early national and antebellum eras, black leaders in New York City confronted the tenuous nature of Northern emancipation. Despite the hope of freedom, black New Yorkers faced a series of sociopolitical issues including the persistence of Southern slavery, the threat of forced removal, racial violence, and the denial of American citizenship. Even efforts to create community space within the urban landscape, such as the African Burial Ground and Seneca Village, were eventually demolished to make way for the city's rapid development. In this illuminating history, Leslie M. Alexander chronicles the growth and development of black activism in New York from the formation of the first black organization, the African Society, in 1784 to the eve of the Civil War in 1861. In this critical period, black activists sought to formulate an effective response to their unequal freedom. Examining black newspapers, speeches, and organizational records, this study documents the creation of mutual relief, religious, and political associations, which black men and women infused with African cultural traditions and values.
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| Subjects | African Americans -- New York (State) -- New York -- History.
African Americans -- New York (State) -- New York -- Intellectual life.
African Americans -- Race identity -- New York (State) -- New York.
Citizenship -- United States -- History.
Free African Americans -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- New York (State) -- New York.
Free African Americans -- New York (State) -- New York -- Social conditions.
New York (N.Y.) -- History -- 1775-1865.
Political participation -- New York (State) -- New York -- Free African Americans -- History.
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| LC Card Number | 2008-2160 |
| Call Number/Copies | |
| | WRHS Research Library: F 9 ZSL N3 A374 2008
CA-1904602: Local class, closed stacks [status: NON-CIRCULATING] |
| [Record 79378] |
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