author
George Washington Williams
1849–1891
A self-taught scholar, soldier, minister, and lawmaker, this remarkable 19th-century writer helped lay the groundwork for serious African American history. His life moved from the Civil War to the pulpit, the legislature, and international human rights advocacy.
2 Audiobooks
History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens
by George Washington Williams
History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880. Vol. 2 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens
by George Washington Williams
About the author
Born in Pennsylvania in 1849, George Washington Williams built an extraordinary career across many fields with very little formal schooling at the start. He served as a young soldier during the Civil War, later spent time in military service in Mexico, and went on to study for the ministry before becoming a Baptist pastor, journalist, lawyer, and politician.
Williams is best remembered as a pioneering historian. His History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880 was an early major effort to document Black life in the United States with serious research and a broad historical view. He also served in the Ohio legislature, showing the same energy in public life that he brought to writing and speaking.
Late in his life, he traveled to the Congo and became known for forcefully condemning abuses there under King Leopold II's rule. He died in England in 1891, but his legacy has lasted as that of a writer and activist who pushed history to tell a fuller truth.