Title: Discovering black Vermont
Subtitle: African American farmers in Hinesburgh, 1790/1890
Description: Review
"Although Vermont was the first state to outlaw adult slavery in its Constitution, in 1777, racism still lurked in the Green Mountains. In delving into the lives of family members, Guyette didn't have anything as simple as a diary to work with. Instead, she had to rely on the experiences of other black Vermonters, as well as grand lists and pension and probate records, to get a feel for their lives. Other African-Americans in Vermont suffered vandalism, slander and lawsuits from their neighbors. The Clarks and the other Hinesburg families probably were not immune from such strife. Guyette believes that their story is integral to understanding Vermont today."--Times Argus

Review
“By so vividly illuminating the history of a truly forgotten people—African Americans who lived in a small, rural Vermont community—Discovering Black Vermont is a revelation. The black citizens who resided in Hinesburgh, Vermont, from the 1790s until the opening of the twentieth century left a revealing record of struggle, persistence, and achievement that historians since have entirely ignored or forgotten. Relying on deep research, sensible interpretations and lucid prose, Elise A. Guyette brings this long- overlooked history to life in a manner that is as highly instructive to scholars of race relations and African American history as it is revealing to general readers. A gem of a book.”—James Brewer Stewart, James Wallace Professor of History, Emeritus, Macalester College

Review
"Guyette uncovered a story about American families who, in the wake of the Revolution fought under the banner of all men being created equal, strove to turn that rhetoric into reality, and were largely successful. 'It's a quintessential Vermont pioneering story, but the people were black.''--Valley News

Review
"Elise Guyette's Discovering Black Vermont is an extraordinary piece of detective work. It offers historians an understanding of black life in rural New England--an incredibly neglected topic. Weaving together an astonishing array of primary sources, Guyette presents historians with the best picture to date of African American life in Vermont." (Harvey Amani Whitfield, author of Blacks on the Border )
Subjects: Biography, History, African American farmers, African Americans
Places: Vermont, USA; Hinesburg (Town), Hinesburg (Vt. : Town)
Time periods: 1790-1890