LIBERTY'S FORGOTTEN HERO

A biography of James Forten, a lesser-known Black figure in the American Revolution.

James Forten (1766–1842) was born in Philadelphia to an African American family that wasn’t enslaved, although, as Grant points out, “Free didn’t mean they were treated fairly.” James (as Grant calls him) attended a Quaker school for free Black children that emphasized racial equality. When he turned 14, James joined the American colonies’ fight for independence from Britain. He worked on an American ship, helping to capture British boats, and for several months he was a prisoner of war. So it was with good reason that James expected that when the war ended in 1783 and the colonies were no longer under British rule, he would be considered an American citizen, but according to the new U.S. government, that privilege was reserved for white people. Throughout the book, which chronicles the adult James’ abolitionist activities, including his co-founding of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, Grant draws from research to speak to her subject’s interior life (e.g., “James gazed in awe at the brave fighting men”). This emphasis on emotion may appeal to young readers who are wary of history books (even those with illustrations). Likewise, Williams’ digital art, which features rich applications of classic colonial colors, infuses this history with humanity by foregrounding the people James worked with, battled, and loved.

An emotionally attuned introduction to an undersung historical figure.