African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign - by James M Paradis (Paperback)

About the Book

The role that African Americans played in the Gettysburg Campaign has now been largely forgotten. This work seeks to rectify this oversight by bringing to light the many ways that Black Americans took part in the crucial battle at Gettysburg, how they were able to influence th...

Book Synopsis

The role that African Americans played in the Gettysburg Campaign has now been largely forgotten. This work seeks to rectify this oversight by bringing to light the many ways that Black Americans took part in the crucial battle at Gettysburg, how they were able to influence the military outcome, and the impact the Civil War had on their lives. Author, James M. Paradis, a former licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park, examines the active prewar role played by Gettysburg citizens, both black and white, in dramatic rescues of the Underground Railroad. Readers are introduced to an impressive ensemble of characters from the black community in Gettysburg including farmers, blacksmiths, teachers, veterinarians, preachers, servants, and laborers. He also dispels the myth that no black men fought or were killed defending Gettysburg from the Confederate invasion. By filling in the missing pieces, this book will help African Americans take back their own history in this dramatic struggle for freedom.

African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign will appeal to scholars and general readers alike. Civil War buffs and potential Gettysburg visitors will find the tour for today and points of interest sections valuable tools for enhancing their experience of this sacred ground. Maps, photographs, and illustrations appear throughout.

Review Quotes

"Paradis, a former licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park and former lecturer and participant in Civil War round tables, addresses the many ways black Americans participated in the Gettysburg campaign, their influence on the military outcome, and the impact of the Civil War on their lives. He examines the active prewar role of Gettysburg citizens, both black and white, by describing characters from the black community in Gettysburg, including farmers, blacksmiths, teachers, veterinarians, preachers, servants, and laborers. Maps, photographs, and illustrations appear throughout. Two appendixes are included: black residents and points of interest in the town of Gettysburg, and a modern tour of Gettysburg and African Americans." --Reference and Research Book News

"From the Foreword: The significance of Gettysburg to all people, with an emphasis on Black America, is masterfully addressed by historian James M. Paradis in African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign. The story of the borough and county's Black community caught up in an epic struggle makes for narrative history at its best. The book is people- and site-oriented. As such it encourages the ever increasing number of park and area visitors that delight in heritage tourism to view sites associatedwith Gettysburg's African American community. To facilitate the visitor's desire to walk in the steps of history, the author has included a chapter highlighting Black-associated sites ad structures, along with two very useful tour maps..." --Edwin C. Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service

"From the Foreword: The significance of Gettysburg to all people, with an emphasis on Black America, is masterfully addressed by historian James M. Paradis in African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign. The story of the borough and county's Black community caught up in an epic struggle makes for narrative history at its best. The book is people- and site-oriented. As such it encourages the ever increasing number of park and area visitors that delight in heritage tourism to view sites associated with Gettysburg's African American community. To facilitate the visitor's desire to walk in the steps of history, the author has included a chapter highlighting Black-associated sites ad structures, along with two very useful tour maps." --Edwin C. Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service

From the Foreword: The significance of Gettysburg to all people, with an emphasis on Black America, is masterfully addressed by historian James M. Paradis in African Americans and the Gettysburg Campaign. The story of the borough and county's Black community caught up in an epic struggle makes for narrative history at its best. The book is people- and site-oriented. As such it encourages the ever increasing number of park and area visitors that delight in heritage tourism to view sites associated with Gettysburg's African American community. To facilitate the visitor's desire to walk in the steps of history, the author has included a chapter highlighting Black-associated sites ad structures, along with two very useful tour maps.

Paradis, a former licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park and former lecturer and participant in Civil War round tables, addresses the many ways black Americans participated in the Gettysburg campaign, their influence on the military outcome, and the impact of the Civil War on their lives. He examines the active prewar role of Gettysburg citizens, both black and white, by describing characters from the black community in Gettysburg, including farmers, blacksmiths, teachers, veterinarians, preachers, servants, and laborers. Maps, photographs, and illustrations appear throughout. Two appendixes are included: black residents and points of interest in the town of Gettysburg, and a modern tour of Gettysburg and African Americans.

About the Author

James M. Paradis is a former licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park. He is currently Dean of the Upper School at St. Mary's Hall-Doane Academy in Burlington, N.J. A frequent lecturer and participant in Civil War Round Tables, his expertise on the place of African Americans in Civil War history has culminated in this book, the defining text on the role of African Americans in the Gettysburg Campaign.