Explore Black History

1882

Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown is an influential Baptist minister and NAACP leader in San Francisco, CA. A Mississippi native, Brown first became involved in the Civil Rights Movement as a teenager in the 1950s. He worked closely with both Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King. Jr. This book played a powerful role in Brown's decision to become an activist.

A hardback book (a), the History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880, owned by Rev. Amos Brown. This is the first popular edition, which combines Volume 1: 1619-1800 and Volume 2: 1800-1880 into a single book. In addition to providing a comprehensive history of the African American experience, the book contains an "historical sketch of Africa" and commentary on the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The book is bound in green cloth and the back cover is missing. Printed across the top of the front cover in black is [History of the] with [Negro Race] printed across the bottom. Both parts of the title are framed in gold. Printed at the top of the spine of the book in gold is [HISTORY OF THE NEGRO RACE IN AMERICA] with [WILLIAMS] and [1619-1880] printed under it. Handwritten inside of the front cover in black ink is [P. 216]. On the next page is [Rev. C.D. Brown] with an address written below it in black ink. On the top right corner of the title page is [see back inside cover] handwritten in black ink. There is a frontispiece portrait of the author, George Washington Williams, opposite the title page along with a reproduced signature.
Inside of the book are two pieces of ephemera. One is a 1935 advertisement celebrating Natchez College's 50th anniversary (b). Printed at the top of the advertisement is a black and white photo of one of the buildings at Natchez College. Printed at the bottom left side is a photo of the president of the college at the time. On the back of the paper are inscriptions. At the top left side is a Chicago address written in pencil. Below that is [Rev. G.W. Myers] with a phone number under it written in pencil. The paper has yellowed, is torn around the edges, and is stained. The second piece of ephemera is a fragment of a 1950's newspaper (c). The fragment is of the top left corner of the paper and the paper has yellowed.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Books and Published Materials

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Amos C. Brown

National Museum of African American History and Culture

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books

Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

ink on paper with cardboard and cloth

H x W x D: 9 7/16 × 6 1/2 × 2 in. (24 × 16.5 × 5.1 cm)

Title • History of the Negro Race In America From 1619 to 1880

nmaahc_2025.37.2abc

NMAAHC

HISTORY OF THE NEGRO RACE IN AMERICA FROM 1619 TO 1880

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1880s

Williams, George Washington • G. P. Putnam's Sons • Brown, Amos C.

New York • Mississippi • United States • North and Central America • Hinds County • Jackson

African diaspora • Slavery • Literature • Communities • Government • Segregation • United States History • Group identity

African Americans • Africans

City • New York • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Jackson • County • Hinds County • State • Mississippi

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