Cover13; -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1. Cities on the Hill: Organizing Communities -- Chapter 2. Mutual Interest, Mutual Benefit, Mutual Relief -- Chapter 3. 8220;Plain and Simple Gospel8221; -- Chapter 4. 8220;The United Wisdom of the World8221; -- Chapter 5. 8220;The Collected Wisdom of Our People8221; -- Chapter 6. Breaking 8220;The Chains of Ignorance8221; -- Chapter 8. Postscript -- A Note on Sources -- Index -- About the Author
Summary
John Ernest offers a comprehensive survey of the broad-ranging and influential African American organizations and networks formed in the North in the late eighteenth century through the end of the Civil War. He examines fraternal organizations, churches, conventions, mutual aid benefit and literary societies, educational organizations, newspapers, and magazines. Ernest argues these organizations demonstrate how African Americans self-definition was not solely determined by slavery as they tried to createorganizations in the hope of creating a community
