The Black Towns

By Norman L. Crockett,

Book cover of The Black Towns

Book description

From Appomattox to World War I, Black Americans continued their quest for a secure position in the American system. The problem was how to be both black and American-how to find acceptance, or even toleration, in a society in which the boundaries of normative behavior, the values, and the very…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Black Towns as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In addition to information about patterns of settlement and leadership, Crockett provides a rare glimpse into intra-racial prejudices. Was it better to have light-colored skin, or would pride in being black predominate? Some editors argued that “past association with whites had corrupted the race.” Skin color was a criterion for social position in some communities, with attitudes varying from town to town. Most scholars are reluctant to touch this subject. I salute Crockett’s courage in delving into the hierarchy of color.   

If you love The Black Towns...

Ad

Book cover of Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism

Grand Old Unraveling By John Kenneth White,

It didn’t begin with Donald Trump. When the Republican Party lost five straight presidential elections during the 1930s and 1940s, three things happened: (1) Republicans came to believe that presidential elections are rigged; (2) Conspiracy theories arose and were believed; and (3) The presidency was elevated to cult-like status.

Long…

Want books like The Black Towns?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Black Towns.

Browse books like The Black Towns

Book cover of Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880
Book cover of Exodusters: Black Migration to Kansas after Reconstruction
Book cover of In Search of Canaan: Black Migration to Kansas, 1879-80

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,584

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Black Towns, you might also like...

Book cover of Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret St. Augustine By Elizabeth Randall, William Randall,

Tourists and local residents of St. Augustine will enjoy reading about the secret wonders of their ancient city that are right under their noses. Of course, that includes a few stray corpses and ghosts!

Book cover of The Deviant Prison: Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and the Origins of America's Modern Penal System, 1829-1913

The Deviant Prison By Ashley Rubin,

What were America's first prisons like? How did penal reformers, prison administrators, and politicians deal with the challenges of confining human beings in long-term captivity as punishment--what they saw as a humane intervention?

The Deviant Prison centers on one early prison: Eastern State Penitentiary. Built in Philadelphia, one of the…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in African Americans, the American Civil War, and presidential biography?

African Americans 813 books