The Negro Problem

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.6

Word count: 214K words
Chapters: 22

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.The Negro Problem by Charles W. Chesnutt et al.Author: ,Language: English, Class: E151: History: America: United States, Release Date: Feb 14, 2005

Editor's review

This book is an important collection of documents on the American Negro problem in the early twentieth century, written jointly by Charles W. Chesnutt and several other authors, discussing the situation of American Negroes at the time in education, economy, social status and race relations. As a free eBook from Project Gutenberg, it preserves the original text, allowing readers direct access to first-hand historical discussion. Its value lies not in offering ready-made conclusions but in presenting the diverse positions of different authors on the same issue at a particular historical stage, making it suitable as supplementary reading for American history, race studies and the history of social thought. It should be read in its historical context, with attention to differences in authors' identities and argumentative strategies, and can be examined against later scholarship. The electronic edition is easily accessible and suitable for classroom selected reading, reference and thematic seminars rather than for readers seeking a flowing popular narrative.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Undergraduate and graduate students studying American history and the history of race relations
Teachers who need first-hand historical documents for course selected reading
Independent readers interested in the history of American social thought

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping for popular stories or light reading
Readers lacking historical background who expect a single clear conclusion

Reading tips

Read the introduction or table of contents first to understand the authors and topics of each piece, then select readings by theme.
While reading, note each author's core claims and argumentative methods to compare different positions.
Read alongside background materials on American history from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century.
For classroom or book club use, discuss in groups around education, economy and political rights.

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 a novel or an academic discussion?

It is a collection of discussions on the American Negro problem, composed of essays by multiple authors; it is historical documentation and discussion of social issues, not a novel or fictional narrative.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

A basic framework of American history is recommended, especially race relations and social change from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Without such background, consult introductory overviews before tackling the original text.

How is the electronic edition best used?

The electronic edition is convenient for searching and excerpting, suitable for course selected reading, thematic research and reference. As a historical text, it is best used with annotations or later scholarship to avoid taking passages out of context.

Comments

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About the author

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Project Gutenberg is not a single author but a nonprofit digital library founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and one of the world's earliest free ebook platforms. It relies on volunteers to digitize, proofread, and freely distribute public-domain works and is now operated by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Its collection contains 2,692 works, mainly religious texts, epics, and story collections, including the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims volumes, the epic Mahabharata, a literal translation of the Arabian Nights, and Danish editions of the Old and New Testaments. Public information is limited, and its nature is closer to a public-interest compiling and dissemination body; these texts are open to the public, easy to consult and circulate, and have had a profound influence on the spread of ebooks and the preservation of public-domain resources.