America's First Black Socialist: The Radical Life of Peter H. Clark

Nikki M. Taylor

dhj 2012 · University Press of Kentucky

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This authoritative biography chronicles the pioneering work of a nineteenth-century Black abolitionist and civil rights activist.

Growing up in the free state of Ohio before the Civil War, Peter H. Clark dedicated himself to the abolitionist cause. In pursuit of equal citizenship for African Americans, Clark was at various times a loyal supporter of the Republican Party, and an advocate for the Democrats, and the country's first black socialist. Clark led the fight for African Americans' access to Ohio's public schools and became the first black principal in the state.

America's First Black Socialist draws upon speeches, correspondence, and outside commentary to provide a balanced account of this influential yet neglected figure. Charting Clark's changing allegiances and ideologies from the antebellum era through the 1920s, this comprehensive biography illuminates the life and legacy of an important activist while also highlighting the black radical tradition that helped democratize America.

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Nikki M. Taylor, associate professor of History at the University of Cincinnati, is author of Frontiers of Freedom: Cincinnati’s Black Community, 1802–1868, and coauthor of A History of African Americans.