The term civil rights movement calls to mind the nation-wide effort, spearheaded by Martin Luther King Jr., during the 1950s and 1960s toend racial segregation and racial injustice in the United States. But the struggle for citizenship rights for African Americans predates King's movement by almost two hundred years. This anthology comprises the firsthand experiences of black civil rights advocates before King.

The History Firsthand series explores major events in world history through vivid eyewitness accounts. Each volume is a compilation of a variety of contemporary narratives and reminiscences from a wide range of perspectives. These personal anecdotes provide readers with a unique and valuable understanding of how people from different backgrounds confront and interpret their times.

The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City brought terror to the heartland of America. This book examines the devastating attack on America through firsthand accounts of those who survived and witnessed the bombing and reactions to this act of terrorism.

"Wet" and "dry" politicians and pundits debate the consequences of the law banning alcohol in America, while bootleggers and average citizens tell of their criminal exploits in making, selling, and imbibing the illegal brew.