History

Kyle T. Mays' book provides an intersectional history, exploring the shared struggles of Black and Native American peoples in the U.S. against the backdrop of antiblackness and settler colonialism. Highlighting historical and contemporary resistance, Mays advocates for Afro-Indigenous solidarity and examines the civil rights movement, cultural appropriation debates, and the fight against white supremacy. His analysis includes historical activists, pop culture, and impactful photographs to underscore moments of cross-community support.

"Dissent and protest have been at the heart of the American story from the first days of settlement to the present day. American Patriots highlights many of the ways that dissent has shaped American history and been a force for progress"-- Provided by publisher.
"In American Patriots, historian Ralph Young chronicles the key role dissent has played in shaping the United States. He explains that activists are not protesting against America, but pushing the country to live up to its ideals. As he guides the reader through the history of protest, Young considers how ordinary Americans, from moderates to firebrands, responded to injustice. He highlights the work of organizations like SNCC and ACT UP, and he follows iconic individuals like Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Woody Guthrie, charting the impact of their dissent. Some of these protesters are celebrated heroes of American history, while others are ordinary people, frequently overlooked, whose stories show that change is often accomplished through grassroots activism. In a time when legitimate dissent is framed as unpatriotic, Young reminds us of the dissenters who have shaped our country’s history. American Patriots is a necessary defense of our right to demand better for ourselves, our communities, and our nation." -- Publisher's description.

The authors discuss the social, political, economic, and cultural implications - in the Appalachian area and beyond - for Black residents of the region

LINK TO EBOOK https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swccd-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4538745

A comprehensive collection of primary documents for students of early American and Atlantic history, Colonial North America and the Atlantic World gives voice to the men and women–Amerindian, African, and European–who together forged a new world.

Kristen Green’s The Devil’s Half Acre tells the extraordinary true story of Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman forced to bear the children of slave trader Robert Lumpkin while living in his notorious Richmond jail. After his death, she transformed the site into a school for freed Black men, laying the foundation for Virginia Union University, one of the nation's first HBCUs. Through deep research, Green uncovers this hidden history of resilience and transformation.

This book delves into how Freedom Libraries were at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, and the remarkable courage of the people who used them. As the Civil Rights Movement exploded across the United States, numerous libraries were desegregated on paper only, and there was another virtually unheard of struggle- the right to read

Karida L. Brown's Gone Home offers a much-needed corrective to the current white-washing of Appalachia. In telling the stories of Appalachian African Americans living and working in steel and coal towns, Brown offers a deep and sweeping look at race, the formation of identity, changes in politics and policy, and black migration in the region and beyond

This book challenges traditional interpretations of the Second Amendment, arguing that James Madison and the First Congress drafted it primarily to preserve Southern militias as a means of controlling enslaved populations. Rejecting the notion that militias were intended as a check on standing armies, it asserts that their true function was enforcing slave control.

The Algonquian Voices of the Roanoke Voyages explores the often-overlooked role of Algonquian-speaking peoples in early American history, particularly during the Roanoke Voyages. Highlighting figures like Manteo, who traveled to England and learned English, the book provides a detailed account of Algonquians by name, shedding light on their identities, experiences, and interactions with English settlers in 16th-century North Carolina.

For at least two centuries, the South's economy, politics, religion, race relations, fiction, music, foodways and more have figured prominently in nearly all facets of American life. In A New History of the American South , W. Fitzhugh Brundage joins a stellar group of accomplished historians in gracefully weaving a new narrative of Southern history from its ancient past to the present

William M. Drennan Jr. and Kojo (William T.) Jones Jr. grew up in the South Hills section of Charleston, West Virginia. Both were born in 1942 to families deeply rooted in Appalachia, but with one key difference. Bill Drennen's parents were white and wealthy, and Kojo Jones was born into a hardworking, middle-class black family. They could play on the same Little League baseball team, but the boundaries set by segregation regulated most other aspects of their social and family lives. In 1955 Charleston's all-white Thomas Jefferson Junior High School was desegregated, and ironically it was this attempt to bring the races together that widened the chasms of class, race, and choice that separated Bill's and Kojo's life experiences for the next forty-five years.

Ned Blackhawk’s The Rediscovery of America challenges traditional U.S. history by centering Native American experiences. Tracing five centuries of Indigenous survival, struggle, and resurgence—from Spanish colonization to modern self-determination—Blackhawk highlights the essential role of Native nations in shaping America’s past and present.

Tangled Roots by Sarah Mittlefehldt explores the history and significance of the Appalachian Trail, highlighting its unique blend of public-private cooperation and community involvement. Initially a grassroots effort, the trail became a model for federal-local collaboration, with citizen volunteers and the National Park Service bridging gaps between public and private interests. Mittlefehldt examines the trail's creation as a wilderness refuge within densely populated areas, reflecting broader environmental politics of the 20th century. Combining historical narrative and environmental insight, this well-researched book is essential reading for conservation historians, trail enthusiasts, and those interested in collaborative environmental stewardship.

"This work chronicles two treks of Richard Traunter's through the Native Southeast in the late seventeenth century, when a smallpox epidemic was killing unprecedented numbers of Indians, and when the Indian slave trade was contributing to depopulation. Traunter was a trader who made pacts with several Indian nations to increase profits for himself and his employer, William Byrd I, and by extension, to advance the English colonial enterprise"-- Provided by publisher.

Vigilance highlights William Still’s crucial role in the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement. Known as the “Father of the Underground Railroad,” Still worked alongside Harriet Tubman and others, emphasizing grassroots activism over individual leadership. Through detailed research, the book restores Still’s legacy as a key figure in American history.

Provides a collection of letters, military records, journal excerpts, and other firsthand accounts documenting the fate of the Cherokee Indians after the Indian Removal Act of 1830.