Book

Charles Benson : mariner of color in the Age of Sail

Sokolow, Michael, author

Overview

\"Raised in a small town in Massachusetts, Charles Augustus Benson was the great-great-grandson of slaves, the great-grandson of a rare eighteenth-century intermarriage between a white woman and a black man, and the grandson of a veteran of the American Revolution. His own life had its share of difficulties, marked by economic struggle, marital conflict, and the social ambiguities of mixed race heritage.\" \"In his personal writings, Benson reflected on both the man he was and the man he wanted to be. Living in a culture that prized \"self-made\" individuals, he sought to forge his own identity even as he labored under structures that severely limited opportunities for blacks. From his youth in rural Middlesex County, Massachusetts, to his subsequent adult life in the bustling port city of Salem, Benson measured himself against the mores of white, middle-class America. Undeterred by early failures in both marriage and finance, he held fast to his personal vision and eventually became a respectable husband, provider, worker, and member of the black community\"-- Provided by publisher.

• Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
• Subject: Benson, Charles A., 1830-1881. / Benson, Charles A., 1830-1881 / Seemann / Glide (Bark) / African American sailors Massachusetts Salem Biography. / Seafaring life. / African American sailors. / Schwarze / Seemann. / Massachusetts Salem. / Salem, Mass. / Schwarze.
• ISBN: 9781558494091, 155849409X, 9781558497948, 1558497943

Item info:

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Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
G540.S645 2003	1	BOOK	MAPS