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First edition book: The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution, with Sketches of Several Distinguished Colored Persons: To Which is Added a Brief Survey of the Condition and Prospects of Colored Americans, by Wm. C. Nell, with an introduction by Harriet Beecher Stowe. First edition. Boston: Robert F. Wallcut, 1855. Hardcover, 5 x 7.5, 396 pages. In good to very good condition, with ownership signatures of "Mrs. Geo. H. Washington" and "William D. Hoyt" inside, edgewear, minor losses to spine cloth, and binding partially split at p. 132; fold-out plate absent.
The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution is a groundbreaking 1855 history book by William Cooper Nell, the first African American to publish a documented historical study of Black contributions to U.S. history. With an introduction by abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book highlights the roles of African Americans in the American Revolution and the War of 1812, aiming to combat racial prejudice and affirm Black patriotism.
Nell profiles notable figures such as Crispus Attucks, the first casualty of the Boston Massacre; Peter Salem, a hero at Bunker Hill; and Prince Whipple, who crossed the Delaware with George Washington. The book is organized by state, covering African American patriots from Massachusetts to Florida, and concludes with a survey of the condition and prospects of Black Americans.
Through this work, Nell sought to correct historical omissions and inspire pride within the Black community by documenting their sacrifices for a nation that often denied them full citizenship. The book remains a foundational text in African American historiography.
