Search - The Life of William J. Brown of Providence, R.I., with Personal Reminiscences of Incidents in Rhode Island

The Life of William J Brown of Providence RI with Personal Reminiscences of Incidents in Rhode Island
Author: William J. Brown, Joanne Pope Melish (introduction)

The son and grandson of slaves owned by abolitionist Moses Brown, William J. Brown was a free African American born in Providence, in 1814. Brown published his captivating autobiography, "The Life of William J. Brown of Providence, R.I.", in 1883. His compelling and insightful story is a memorable portrait of life and society in ninete...  more »enth-century New England: his childhood, his unusually good educational opportunities, employment, contemporary race relations, the port's bustling seafaring life, temperance, religion, organized societies, and local and national politics. He wrote of prominent African American contemporaries, including Frederick Douglass and Henry Bibb, and of African American troops in the Civil War. This is an impressively rich text, remarkable for its time and place. Unlike official records and other types of primary sources - frequently written from the opaque, self-interested perspective of upper-middle-class white Americans - this extraordinary memoir provides an authentic window on black experiences in nineteenth-century New England. Expertly framed by Rosalind C. Wiggins's engaging preface and a new scholarly introduction by historian Joanne Pope Melish, "The Life of William J. Brown of Providence, R.I." will spellbind readers interested in African American and New England literature, history, and culture.  « less

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ISBN-13: 9781584655374
ISBN-10: 1584655372
Publication Date: 6/30/2006
Pages: 208
Rating:

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5 stars, based on 1 rating

Publisher: University Press of New England
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
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Ellen W. (gozozma) reviewed The Life of William J. Brown of Providence, R.I., with Personal Reminiscences of Incidents in Rhode Island on 5/22/2006 + 89 more book reviews

An exceptional firsthand account of the experiences of people of color in nineteeth-century Rhode Island Just published!

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Read All Book Reviews of "The Life of William J Brown of Providence RI with Personal Reminiscences of Incidents in Rhode Island"

• Biographies & Memoirs >> Community & Culture >> Black & African American
• Biographies & Memoirs >> Historical >> United States >> Civil War >> Personal Narratives
• Biographies & Memoirs >> Memoirs
• History >> Americas >> United States >> 19th Century >> Antebellum
• History >> World >> Slavery & Emancipation
• Nonfiction >> Social Sciences >> Sociology >> General
• Nonfiction >> Social Sciences >> Specific Demographics >> African American Studies