Description
Book SynopsisThis collective biography illuminates how the lives and successes of fourteen African American physicians who became surgeons during the American Civil War challenged the prescribed notions of race in America and played a crucial role in the evolving definition of freedom and patriotism.
Trade Review“Far from a purely inspirational narrative, Jill L. Newmark aptly demonstrates the social, political, cultural, and personal struggles and indeed artistry of a group of pioneering Black soldier-surgeons, medical professionals, humanitarians, politicians, and entrepreneurs whose collective recognition is long overdue."—Christopher M. Tinson, author of
Radical Intellect: Liberator Magazine and Black Activism in the 1960s “Jill L. Newmark fills a significant gap in scholarship on Civil War medicine with her deeply researched and detailed exploration of the Black military surgeons of the Civil War. In each biographical exploration, Newmark reminds us of the important work that Black surgeons performed, not only in the medical tent, but in claiming and advancing the work of civil rights."—Sarah Handley-Cousins, author of
Bodies in Blue: Disability in the Civil War North “A magnificent accomplishment! This volume reconstructs the lives of 14 Black Civil War–era physicians through meticulous and dogged archival research. These revelations about Black medical contributions to the war will inspire historians and their students for years to come."—Margaret Humphreys, author of
Intensely Human: The Health of the Black Soldier in the American Civil War “A monumental achievement,
Without Concealment, Without Compromise is the first book on the Black physicians who served during the U.S. Civil War. Jill L. Newmark has meticulously researched city directories and census records, newspaper reports and pension applications, federal depositions and military documents to produce a breathtaking account of the Black doctors who wore Union blue. The portraits of these men are compelling.
Without Concealment, Without Compromise is a must read for anyone interested in either the Civil War or the history of medicine."—Jim Downs, author of
Maladies of Empire: How Colonialism, Slavery, and War Transformed Medicine “Newmark’s book moves deftly among medical history, military history, social history, and religious history—in the process showing how some of those traditional boundaries vanish when examining an event like the Civil War. An important work for anyone interested in the African American experience during the conflict that ended slavery. The author resurrects the stories of dedicated medical professionals who broke through racial barriers and serve to inspire us still."—Zachery A. Fry, author of A
Republic in the Ranks: Loyalty and Dissent in the Army of the PotomacTable of Contents
- CONTENTS
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. Breaking the Color Barrier: The Medical Education and Military Service of African American Physicians in the Nineteenth Century
- 2. Catalyst for Change: Alexander Thomas Augusta (1825-1890)
- 3. For Race and Country: William Peter Powell, Jr. (1834-1916)
- 4. Witness to History: Anderson Ruffin Abbott (1837-1913)
- 5. Serving in the Regiment: John van Surly DeGrasse (1825-1868)
- 6. Adventure and Ambition: John H. Rapier, Jr. (1835-1866)
- 7. From Ivy League to U.S. Navy: Richard Henry Greene (1833-1877)
- 8. Preacher and Physician: Willis Richardson Revels (1817-1879)
- 9. Physician, Politician, Postmaster: Benjamin Antonius Boseman (1840-1881)
- 10. A Family Affair: Charles Burleigh Purvis (1842-1929)
- 11. The Black Ivy League: Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Creed (1833-1900) and William Baldwin Ellis (1833-1867)
- 12. The Iowa Connection: Alpheus W. Tucker (1844-1880), Joseph Dennis Harris (1834-1884), and Charles H. Taylor (1844-1875)
- Bibliography
- Index
