Black Women of the Old West
Grade 5 Up?Most students of American history have heard of the Dred Scott case, but the name of Harriet Scott, Dred's wife, is not so well known. Hers is one of the many fascinating histories presented here. Using primary sources and featuring dozens of black-and-white archival photographs and reproductions, Katz recounts stories of African American women who made the journey west and illuminates the times in which they lived and their reasons for going. Some women of color escaped west from slavery. Others sued for freedom after being taken there by their owners. Still others came as mail-order brides. Many black women flourished on the frontier, where they found more opportunities for education and better paying jobs. Katz presents a wealth of information on a subject virtually unexplored in children's literature. While Brandon Marie Miller's Buffalo Gals (Lerner, 1995) has a similar scope, this book goes into greater detail and covers more material.?Rebecca O'Connell, Carnegie Library of PittsburghCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.