From Slavery To Freedom: A History of African-Americans (7th edition) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "By the end of the twentieth century, it became commonplace for African Americans to speak and write sensitively of the land of their ancestors..." (more)
Key Phrases: intersectional strife, black advisers, proslavery leaders, African Americans, New York, South Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Since its publication in 1947, "From Slavery to Freedom" has maintained its preeminence as the most authoritative history of African Americans. The authors detail the journey of African Americans from their origin in the civilizations of Africa, through slavery in the Western Hemisphere, to the successful struggle for freedom in the West Indies, Latin America, and the U.S. This edition has been revised to include expanded coverage of Africa and two four-page color inserts. 60 illustrations and 4 maps.

From the Inside Flap

This is the dramatic, exciting, authoritative story of the experiences of African Americans from the time they left Africa to their continued struggle for equality at the end of the twentieth century.

Since its original publication in 1947, From Slavery to Freedom has stood as the definitive his-tory of African Americans. Coauthors John Hope Franklin and Alfred A. Moss, Jr., give us a vividly detailed account of the journey of African Americans from their origins in the civilizations of Africa, through their years of slavery in the New World, to the successful struggle for freedom and its aftermath in the West Indies, Latin America, and the United States.

This eighth edition has been revised to include expanded coverage of Africa; additional material in every chapter on the history and current situation of African Americans in the United States; new charts, maps, and black-and-white illustrations; and a third four-page color insert. The authors incorporate recent scholarship to examine slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the period between World War I and World War II (including the Harlem Renaissance). From Slavery to Freedom describes the rise of slavery, the interaction of European and African cultures in the New World, and the emergence of a distinct culture and way of life among slaves and free blacks. The authors examine the role of blacks in the nation's wars, the rise of an articulate, restless free black community by the end of the eighteenth century, and the growing resistance to slavery among an expanding segment of the black population.

The book deals in considerable detail with the period after slavery, including the arduous struggle for first-class citizenship that has extended into the twentieth century. Many developments in recent African American history are examined, including demographic change; educational efforts; literary and cultural changes; problems in housing, health, juvenile matters, and poverty; the expansion of the black middle class; and the persistence of discrimination in the administration of justice.

All who are interested in African Americans' continuing quest for equality will find a wealth of information based on the recent findings of many scholars. Professors Franklin and Moss have captured the tragedies and triumphs, the hurts and joys, the failures and successes, of blacks in a lively and readable volume that remains the most authoritative and comprehensive book of its kind. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 680 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 7th edition (March 29, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679430873
• ISBN-13: 978-0679430872
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,062,155 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant scholarly work, August 3, 2000

By	Eric V. Moye (New York, by way of Dallas) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (Hardcover)

Dr. Franklin is one of the greatest historians this country has ever produced. He holds degrees from Fisk and Harvard (two post graduate degrees from Cambridge). He has more honorary degrees than Carter has little pills (or I guess now, peanuts). This work, now in its eighth printing, is perhaps the greatest single reference work exploring the African American experience and the contributions of this race to American history, and has been so since the first edition was printed in 1947.

He starts by revealing more knowledge that most people ever fathomed about the African experience in the pre-slavery centuries, with the greatness that was the African continent in Ghana, Songhay and the rest of Africa. The exploration of the "peculiar institution" of slavery, reconstruction and the post Civil War hope is complete and brilliantly done. The chapters on the Harlem Renaissance and the first half of the twentieth century alone is worth the price of the book.

Extraordinarily well researched. It is scholarly but never dry. It is objective, but never loses the passion for the subject. A must for any complete understanding of our history.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book should be on every bookshelf in America, July 19, 2004

By	Houseketeer (DC Metro Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (Hardcover)

As a graduate of Howard University, this text was used in several disciplines on the campus and I still refer to this book in my personal search of correcting some of the inaccuracies that I was fed as a child. Dr. Franklin offers complete and accurate accounts of the real story, not his-story!

This book is in no way a revisionary or revolutionary work for the militant black individual as previous reviews may lead you to believe. In fact, compare this work with your average high school history text, research the events (thoroughly) and determine its validity and accuracy on your own. It is imperative to research -- don't just take what is given to you as fact! You will be amazed of the overwhelming evidence that Dr. Franklin provides that has been omitted in many American high school textbooks.

Every child, especially those of African descent, should have the opportunity to receive the information that Dr. Franklin has so eloquently and chronologically written in this book. This is truly a must-read!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on the History of African-Americans, December 24, 1999

By	Anthony Ochoa (Merced, CA) - See all my reviews

This book brought into life the history of a group of Americans that has been long neglected, in the standard American textbooks. This book was easy to read and follows the course of American history, from discovery to the Clinton presidency. A must for all persons who are interested in history. Not just African-American history, but American history. Get it, it is worth having, if you call yourself an historian.