The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919

The Story

The progression of this volume begins with an exploration of individual legacy and the persistence of memory, exemplified by the life of Lemuel Haynes. A preacher of significant intellect and power, Haynes serves as a bridge between the eighteenth-century revolutionary era and the nineteenth-century abolitionist struggle. His story is one of intellectual and spiritual leadership, providing a foundational argument for the humanity and capability of Black citizens in a climate that frequently denied both. This opening sets a tone of historical recovery, shifting the focus from abstract debates about race to the lived, tangible experiences of Black men and women who shaped their communities through persistent, quiet, and meaningful action.

As the volume moves forward, the focus shifts to the structural and legal mechanisms that governed the lives of Black people across different geographies. The narrative expands to examine the "exodus" of 1879, where thousands of Black families sought refuge in Northern states like Kansas and Indiana. Here, the text presents a confrontation between the official, often sanitized government reports that dismissed this migration as a mere political maneuver, and the raw, harrowing reality of the conditions these individuals fled. The story of this migration is one of desperation met with resilience; it highlights a turning point where the promise of freedom and economic stability required the abandonment of familiar homes in the face of systemic intimidation and state-sponsored violence.

From the American context, the inquiry broadens to global histories of colonial power and labor. The investigation into the Company of Royal Adventurers reveals the brutal economic machinery behind the transatlantic trade, detailing how European powers—specifically England and the Netherlands—competed for control over human and material resources in West Africa. This section underscores that the story of the African diaspora is inextricably linked to the global rise of mercantilism. The text carefully lays out how these early corporate structures operated, showing that the exploitation of the African continent was not a series of isolated incidents, but a coordinated, state-sanctioned enterprise driven by the pursuit of gold and commercial dominance.

The arc of the volume eventually lands in the tumultuous years of the First World War. By presenting personal letters from migrants writing between 1916 and 1918, the journal provides a human face to the "Great Migration." These letters are the heartbeat of the collection. They capture the urgent, practical, and deeply emotional pleas of people looking to escape the "land of suffering" for the industrial promise of Chicago or Cleveland. They are not merely accounts of movement but are testimonies of hope, documenting the specific, granular details of finding work, securing transportation, and navigating the profound anxiety of leaving one’s kin behind.

The collection concludes by grounding these historical and sociological observations in the necessity of academic and public education. The final segments move toward a call to action: the promotion of the study of Negro life and history in schools. The argument here is clear—that history is not merely a record of the past but a tool for social survival and self-respect. By documenting the achievements of individuals and the persistent challenges of labor and law, the contributors to this volume aim to build a, "machinery adequate to interesting every individual having pride in the achievements of this large fraction of the population." The closing of the volume does not offer a neatly tied conclusion, but rather a foundation for future scholarship and a insistence that the record be kept, scrutinized, and taught.

The People

• Lemuel Haynes: A preacher of remarkable intellect who, despite the racial prejudices of the early nineteenth century, became a moral and intellectual authority in New England. He represents the tradition of the Black intellectual leader, serving as a reminder of the quiet, enduring influence of those who commanded respect through character and erudition rather than force.
• The Migrants of 1916–1918: These are the central actors of the volume’s most moving sections. They are mothers, laborers, and skilled workers who possess a singular, desperate clarity: they want a life defined by honest work and dignity. Standing in their way are systemic poverty, racial intimidation, and the literal chains of labor contracts, yet they demonstrate an immense, proactive agency in seeking out their own salvation.
• Angelo Solimann: An African figure of unique status who lived within European social spheres, maintaining his cultural identity through the wearing of traditional garments and a steadfast commitment to his own principles. He embodies the tension of the "fusion of cultures," a man who successfully navigated an alien society without losing the core of his personal and ancestral identity.
• The Royal Adventurers: A group of English courtiers and royalty who represent the architects of colonial exploitation. They are motivated by the thirst for gold and the belief in their own right to trade in human lives. They stand as the cold, bureaucratic antagonists of the narrative, illustrating how distant, institutional decisions ripple down to create the conditions of displacement and suffering explored elsewhere in the volume.

In Its Own Voice

The following passage reflects on the necessity of acknowledging the depth of experience found in the life of a historical figure, despite the societal limitations imposed upon him:

"Many, on seeing him in the pulpit, have been reminded of the inspired expression, 'I am black, but comely.'"

This statement, regarding the preacher Lemuel Haynes, captures the intersection of religious imagery and the dignity he claimed for himself in the face of prejudice.

The following quote from a migrant’s letter summarizes the fundamental, urgent drive behind the Great Migration:

"I hope that you will healp me as I want to get out of this land of sufring I no there is som thing that I can do here there is nothing for me to do I may be able to get in some furm where I dont have to stand on my feet all day I dont no just whah but I hope the Lord will find a place now let me here from you all at once."

This plea underscores the desperate, practical reality of those seeking a new life in the North.

Finally, a reflection on the cold nature of international commerce and the futility of relying on mere diplomacy when corporate interests are at stake:

"God help them," he declared, "if they (the Royal Company) depend upon paper relief."

This observation, concerning the Royal Adventurers, highlights the cynical understanding that power, not policy, dictated the terms of trade and justice during the colonial period.

What It's Really About

At its core, this volume is an argument for the validity and necessity of Black history as an academic and social discipline. It posits that the American and global experience is fundamentally incomplete—and indeed falsified—if the contributions, struggles, and perspectives of Black people are omitted. The book operates on the belief that historical truth is a prerequisite for justice. By curating documents that range from legislative debates in Tennessee to personal correspondence in Mississippi, the authors build a mosaic that challenges the "official" versions of history constructed by those in power.

A central theme is the tension between the legal status of individuals and their lived experience. The text repeatedly shows that laws—whether the abolition of slavery in Upper Canada or the constitutional rights of the post-Reconstruction South—often fail to translate into actual protection or opportunity. The book is deeply concerned with the "fusion of cultures" and the process of assimilation, questioning whether a society can truly integrate a people while simultaneously maintaining structures of exclusion. It does not look for easy answers; instead, it presents the friction of these cultures as a defining feature of the American landscape.

Furthermore, the work addresses the economics of survival. Whether describing the gold trade of the seventeenth century or the labor market of the early twentieth century, the volume consistently ties racial conditions to economic realities. It moves the discussion of race away from the purely sociological and into the material, examining how labor conditions, migration, and the "want ads" of newspapers like the Chicago Defender are not peripheral details, but the primary drivers of societal change.

The volume also engages in a meta-commentary on the act of writing history. Through its book reviews and editorial notes, it serves as a guardian of the record, critiquing biographies that fall into "mere eulogy" and demanding rigorous, evidence-based accounts of the past. It insists that the history of the Negro race is not merely a subset of American history, but a profound, complex, and essential narrative that requires its own specialized, rigorous, and respectful documentation. It is an argument against the erasure of the Black experience, asserting that this history is not just "worth saving"—it is the only way to understand the true trajectory of the modern world.

Why Read It Today

Reading this volume today is an act of historical immersion. It does not feel like a polished, modern history book; rather, it feels like sitting in an archive, handled by historians who are acutely aware that they are documenting a struggle in real-time. For the reader who appreciates the rawness of primary sources—the letters, the reports, the occasional archaic spelling—this book offers an unparalleled sense of proximity to the past. It is a demanding, slow read, requiring the reader to shift between the formal, analytical tone of early 20th-century scholars and the unfiltered, often grammatically idiosyncratic voices of the migrants themselves.

The difficulties of the text are part of its integrity. You will encounter period attitudes that can be jarring, as well as the occasionally dry, academic language of 1919. However, these obstacles are secondary to the emotional impact of the documents. What stays with you are the voices of the people: the mother writing to ask for a "pass" to the North, the preacher commanding the respect of his white congregants in Vermont, and the sharp, cynical observations about the nature of power.

This is not a book for those seeking a unified narrative or a comfortable overview. It is for the reader who wants to see the building blocks of history—the messy, unvarnished data of lives lived under pressure. You will come away with a profound appreciation for the sheer effort required to move from a state of enforced invisibility to a state of documented, recognized existence. It is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit and the importance of the written word as a weapon against oblivion. For anyone interested in the Great Migration, the history of the African diaspora, or the way history is constructed, this volume remains an essential, sobering, and deeply humanizing piece of literature.