The editors examine the important and previously overlooked pamphleteering tradition and offer new insights into how the printed word became so important to black activists in this critical period.

Between the Revolution and Civil War, African-American writing became a prominent feature of both black protest culture and American public life. Although denied a political voice in national affairs, black authors produced a wide range of literature to project their views into the public sphere. The editors examine the important and previously overlooked pamphleteering tradition and offer new insights into how and why the printed word became so important to black activists during this critical period. This is the first book to capture the depth of black print culture before the Civil War.