Title
Help Me to Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery (John Hope Franklin Series in African American,Used
Processing time: 1-3 days
US Orders Ships in: 3-5 days
International Orders Ships in: 8-12 days
Return Policy: 15-days return on defective items
Payment Option
After the Civil War, African Americans placed poignant 'information wanted' advertisements in newspapers, searching for missing family members. Inspired by the power of these ads, Heather Andrea Williams uses slave narratives, letters, interviews, public records, and diaries to guide readers back to devastating moments of family separation during slavery when people were sold away from parents, siblings, spouses, and children. Williams explores the heartbreaking stories of separation and the long, usually unsuccessful journeys toward reunification. Examining the interior lives of the enslaved and freedpeople as they tried to come to terms with great loss, Williams grounds their grief, fear, anger, longing, frustration, and hope in the history of American slavery and the domestic slave trade.Williams follows those who were separated, chronicles their searches, and documents the rare experience of reunion. She also explores the sympathy, indifference, hostility, or empathy expressed by whites about sundered black families. Williams shows how searches for family members in the postCivil War era continue to reverberate in African American culture in the ongoing search for family history and connection across generations.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
- Q: What is the main theme of 'Help Me to Find My People'? A: The main theme of the book is the search for family members lost during slavery, exploring the emotional impact of separation and the struggles for reunification faced by African Americans after the Civil War.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author of 'Help Me to Find My People' is Heather Andrea Williams, a historian who examines the experiences of African Americans searching for lost family members.
- Q: What type of sources does the author use in the book? A: Heather Andrea Williams uses a variety of sources including slave narratives, letters, interviews, public records, and diaries to support her exploration of family searches during and after slavery.
- Q: What is the book's publication date? A: The book was published on January 1, 2012.
- Q: How many pages does 'Help Me to Find My People' have? A: The book contains 251 pages.
- Q: What is the binding type of this book? A: The book is available in hardcover binding.
- Q: Is this book suitable for research on African American history? A: Yes, the book is suitable for research as it provides in-depth analysis and historical context on the experiences of African Americans during the post-Civil War era.
- Q: What insights does the author offer about family reunions? A: The author chronicles the rare experiences of reunion and discusses the varied responses from white individuals regarding the reunification of black families.
- Q: Can this book help with understanding contemporary issues of family history in African American culture? A: Yes, the book connects historical searches for family with contemporary issues of family history and connection in African American culture.
- Q: What is the edition of the book? A: This is the First Edition of 'Help Me to Find My People'.