A Review of Hoffman's Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro

Miller, Kelly, 1863-1939Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.7

Word count: 79K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Review of Hoffman's Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro by MillerAuthor: Miller, Kelly, 1863-1939,Language: English, Class: E151: History: America: United States, Release Date: Feb 15, 2010

Editor's review

This book is Kelly Miller's review of Hoffman's Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro, released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain electronic text and classified under American history. Its value lies not in restating Hoffman's book but in presenting the early twentieth-century American intellectual debate over racial statistics and so-called "race traits": Miller, as reviewer, examines the original's use of data and its reasoning step by step, showing the critical approaches of the time to racist Social Darwinist arguments. For those studying the history of American racial thought, Black intellectual writing, and the history of statistics, it is a compact but context-dense primary source. Readers should note that the subject under discussion is itself strongly racially prejudiced and that Miller's review is also embedded in the discourse of its era; today's readers should critically examine the premises and wording of both sides.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students studying the history of American racial thought and Black intellectual writing
Readers interested in the history of statistics and critiques of Social Darwinism
Researchers who need primary documents in American history from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century
Readers interested in debates in Black American thought who can read historical texts critically

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic contemporary discussion of racial issues; this is a historical polemical text
Readers sensitive to racist language who do not wish to engage with historically prejudiced texts
Readers seeking a Chinese translation; this electronic edition is the English original
Readers who only want Hoffman's original book and are not interested in the review

Reading tips

First understand the basic claims of Hoffman's book, then read Miller's point-by-point review to clarify the focus of the debate.
While reading, mark the statistical materials Miller cites and the steps of his reasoning, and analyze the logic of his rebuttal.
Read in light of early twentieth-century American segregation and Black higher education to understand the review's situation.
Maintain critical distance from the racialized wording, distinguishing historical context from the author's position.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book Hoffman's original or a review?

This is Kelly Miller's review of Hoffman's Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro, not Hoffman's original book itself. Miller examines the original's data and claims, and readers who want a full understanding of the debate should also consult the relevant content of Hoffman's book.

Do the views in the book represent modern scholarly consensus?

No. The book dates from the early twentieth century, and both sides use the racial classifications and statistical discourse popular at the time, many of whose premises modern scholarship has rejected. It should be read as a historical document, focusing on how the debate unfolds rather than treating it as an authoritative conclusion on contemporary racial issues.

Why is this review worth reading?

It records an early critique by a Black American intellectual of racist Social Darwinist argument, showing the data, concepts, and rhetoric used in the debate of the time. For those studying the history of racial thought, Black writing, and the history of statistics, it is a context-dense, compact primary source.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for non-specialist readers?

The text is early twentieth-century academic review English with long sentences and statistical and social-theory terminology, posing some difficulty for non-specialists. General readers with basic knowledge of American history who are willing to look up background can read selected key passages; otherwise, it is advisable to start with relevant introductory studies.

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About the author

Miller, Kelly, 1863-1939 Author

Kelly Miller (1863–1939) was an African American writer and commentator whose biographical details are sparsely documented in publicly available sources. Three of his works are held here, centering on the civil rights of Black Americans and on historical writing. The Negro and the Elective Franchise gathers several papers and a sermon around the central issue of voting rights; A Review of Hoffman's Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro offers a critical response to a then-influential racist work; and Kelly Miller's History of the World War for Human Rights combines war narrative with a human-rights perspective. His writing is grounded in specific issues, balancing argument with historical evidence, and is practical in tone, serving public debate in defense of African American rights.