Reviewed in Choice

September, 2004

In 1867, Brown, a former slave and life-long advocate for black rights, wrote the first account of African American roles in the Civil War. The Negro in the American Rebellion summarized the experiences of black soldiers in various military campaigns, extolled their heroic achievements, and chronicled their valiant struggle for fair treatment and social equality after the Confederacy was defeated. Above all, Brown portrayed black Americans as active agents of racial change throughout the emancipation process. In his valuable 27-page introduction to this re-publication, John David Smith (Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte) analyzes Brown’s work within the context of the Civil War and early Reconstruction era. Especially good is Smith’s summary of how historians have criticized Brown’s book over time. Critics have noted that Brown provided sparse documentation for his history and filled his pages with moralizing polemics rather than objective analysis. Nonetheless, Brown’s account of the role of black Americans during the war and after has held up rather well under the scrutiny of modern historians. More important, his account serves as a valuable resource for students and scholars alike seeking to understand the thoughts of African Americans during the Civil War era.

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

—R. Detweiler, California Polytechnic State University&mdashSan Luis Obispo

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Choice
September 2004