Cornerstones of freedom

Deborah Kent

This accessible history explores the lives and experiences of African Americans in the thirteen colonies during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It examines the institution of slavery, the restricted rights of free Black people, and the many ways African Americans contributed to the development of colonial America. Brief profiles of figures such as Phillis Wheatley, Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, and Benjamin Banneker illuminate their achievements and resilience. Enhanced by historical photographs and straightforward narrative, the book offers young readers an introduction to an essential and often overlooked part of America’s beginnings.

Michael Burgan

This accessible history explores the lives and experiences of African Americans in the thirteen colonies, from the arrival of the first Africans through the era of the American Revolution. It examines the development of slavery, the work and communities of enslaved people, and the ways African Americans resisted oppression and preserved their families, cultures, and hopes for freedom. Clear narrative and historical context illuminate both the hardships of colonial life and the significant contributions African Americans made to the colonies’ growth. Designed for young readers, the book encourages a deeper understanding of America’s colonial past and the people whose stories are an essential part of it.