A Nation Within a Nation

by Ernest, John

• ISBN13: 9781566638074
• ISBN10: 1566638070
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-04-16
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee

Summary

John Ernest offers a comprehensive survey of the broad-ranging and influential African American organizations and networks formed in the North in the late eighteenth century through the end of the Civil War. He examines fraternal organizations, churches, conventions, mutual aid benefit and literary societies, educational organizations, newspapers, and magazines. Ernest argues these organizations demonstrate how African Americans self-definition was not solely determined by slavery as they tried to create organizations in the hope of creating a community.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Cities on the Hill: Organizing Communities	p. 3
The scattered community.
Negotiating racial identity and African heritage.
Isolated in a white nation.
The growth of organizations.
Alliances and tensions in the anti-slavery movement.
Mutual Interest, Mutual Benefit, Mutual Relief	p. 29
Group identification in mutual aid and benevolent societies.
Gender and associations.
The need for organized efforts.
The promotion of virtue.
"Plain and Simple Gospel"	p. 53
Racial discrimination in the church.
Establishing black churches and denominations.
Religion and racism.
Developing black theologies.
The church's social mission.
"The United Wisdom of the World"	p. 82
Uncertain beginnings and development of black freemasonry.
Origins and development of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows.
Limits of brotherhood.
Attractions of fraternal societies.
Brotherhood and community.
"The Collected Wisdom of Our People"	p. 107
Proliferation of conventions.
Resisting white limitations on citizenship.
Promoting self-governance.
Addressing tensions within the community.
Women in the convention movement.
Addressing moral degradation within and beyond the black community.
Promoting an inclusive republic.
Breaking "The Chains of Ignorance"	p. 139
Educational needs.
White opposition to integrated schools.
Establishing schools for black children.
Segregated public schools.
Literary societies.
"Our Warfare Lies in the Field of Thought"	p. 164
Racism in the mainstream press.
Self-representation and the press.
Important newspapers and magazines.
Supporting the black press.
Postscript	p. 191
A Note on Sources	p. 197
Index	p. 203
About the Author	p. 215
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