African Muslims in Antebellum America: Transatlantic Stories and Spiritual Struggles

A condensation and updating of the author's African Muslims in Antebellum America: A Sourcebook, this book features the stories of nearly 80 Africans brought to America as slaves between 1730 and 1860. What was unusual about these slaves is that they were Muslims and that they left some sort of documentary record of their presence. Many came from elite classes--one was a military officer, several were schoolteachers, and another was studying to become a religious leader. Using the fragments of evidence still available, Allan D. Austin tells a compelling story that illuminates aspects of American history that are too little known.