Righthand page of open book, beginning with the word “Analysis” in capital letters

The African’s Right to Citizenship
Philadelphia: James S. Claxton, 1865
Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The African’s Right to Citizenship

This short pamphlet offers a bracing reminder of how few rights African Americans had in the 19th century, even after the abolition of slavery in 1865. Written by an unknown white author and addressed to white readers, the text wrestles with a startling array of assumptions we now take for granted: Black Americans should be considered citizens of the United States, they should not be deported from the United States, and they should enjoy the same “civilization” and “enlightenment” as white Americans.

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