"American Black History" is a concise yet thorough treatment of 500 years of African American history from its origins in the civilizations of Africa through the grim early years in America and the quest for freedom and civil rights. Richly illustrated, the book vividly details the rise of slavery, the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the role of blacks in the nation's wars, the Harlem Renaissance, the emergence of the civil rights era, and the arduous struggle for the full claims of citizenship. Lively portraits of key cultural and political figures such as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and countless others make clear the enormous contributions of blacks in America. Tests, answer key, and bibliography are included.