Milton Sernett facts for kids
Milton C. Sernett is an American historian, author, and professor at Syracuse University. He has written many books and articles about African American history. His work often focuses on the fight against slavery (abolitionism), religion, and the Underground Railroad. He has spent many years studying anti-slavery movements in New York, especially the life of Harriet Tubman.
He teaches in the Department of Religion, History Department, and Department of African American Studies at Syracuse University.
Early Life and Education
Milton C. Sernett graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned his master's degree and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Delaware in 1972.
He was also a research fellow at the WEB Du Bois Institute at Harvard University. Later, he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies in Berlin, Germany.
Published Works
Milton C. Sernett has written several important books and articles. Many of his works focus on the history of African Americans and their fight for freedom.
Books
- Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, and History (2007) – This book explores the life and legacy of the famous Underground Railroad conductor, Harriet Tubman.
- North Star Country: Upstate New York and the Crusade for African American Freedom (2002) – This book looks at how people in Upstate New York worked to end slavery.
- African American Religious History: A Documentary Witness (1999) – This book shares important documents about the history of African American religion.
- Bound for the Promised Land: African American Religion and the Great Migration (1997) – This book discusses how African American religion played a role in the Great Migration, when many African Americans moved from the Southern states to the North.
- Abolition's Axe: Beriah Green, Oneida Institute, and the Black Freedom Struggle (1986) – This book is about the anti-slavery movement and important figures like Beriah Green.
- Afro-American Religious History: A Documentary Witness (1985) – This earlier version of his book on African American religious history was recognized as an "Outstanding Academic Book."
- Afro-American Religious History: Documents and Interpretations (1981) – Another collection of documents and ideas about African American religious history.
- Black Religion And American Evangelism: White Protestants, Plantation Missions, and the Flowering of Negro Christianity, 1787-1865 (1975) – This book explores the history of Black religion in America before the Civil War.
Other Publications
- “African American Religion,” for The Oxford Companion to United States History – A chapter explaining African American religion for a history guide.
- “On Freedom’s Trail: Researching the Underground Railroad in New York State,” for Afro-Americans in New York Life and History – An article about finding information on the Underground Railroad in New York.
Honors and Recognition
In 2004, Milton C. Sernett served as the vice-chair of the New York State Freedom Trail Commission. This commission helps to highlight places important to the history of freedom and the Underground Railroad in New York.
