Sydney Nathans facts for kids

Sydney Harold Nathans, born on May 24, 1940, is an American historian. He used to be a professor at Duke University. He has written many history books. Two of his famous books are To Free a Family: The Journey of Mary Walker and A Mind to Stay: White Plantation, Black Homeland. These books tell important stories from history.

Early Life and Learning

Sydney Nathans was born on May 24, 1940. By the time he was eight years old, his family had lived in five different states! He went to San Jacinto High School in Texas. In 1958, he won a big speaking contest called the National High School Oratorical Contest. Later, he earned his PhD degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1969.

His Work as a Historian

After finishing his studies, Sydney Nathans started teaching history at Duke University. His first book came out in 1973. It was called Daniel Webster and Jacksonian Democracy. This book was about the start of a political group called the Whig Party. It also focused on one of its leaders, Daniel Webster.

Researching the Great Migration

In 1978, Mr. Nathans traveled across Alabama. He wanted to find the families of enslaved African Americans. He hoped to learn more about the Great Migration. This was a time when many African Americans moved from the Southern United States to other parts of the country.

While in Alabama, he met Alice Hargress. Her family's story helped him write his book A Mind to Stay: White Plantation, Black Homeland. Alice told him about 114 enslaved people who moved from North Carolina to a large farm in Alabama. They eventually bought their freedom there. In 1980, he received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship. This award helped him continue his important research.

Stories of Freedom

In 1984, Sydney Nathans helped edit a five-book series. It was called The Way We Lived in North Carolina. This series won an award from the American Historical Association.

A few years later, he kept studying the history of Black migration in America. He followed the story of a woman named Mary Walker. She lived in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Mr. Nathans met Mary Walker's family members. He wrote her story of escaping slavery in his 2012 book, To Free a Family: The Journey of Mary Walker. This book won the 2013 Frederick Douglass Prize. This award is given to the best book about slavery or ending slavery.

Books by Sydney Nathans

• Daniel Webster and Jacksonian Democracy. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1973.
• The Quest for Progress: The Way We Lived in North Carolina, 1870-1920. University of North Carolina Press, 1983.
• To Free a Family: The Journey of Mary Walker. Harvard University Press, 2012.
• A Mind to Stay: White Plantation, Black Homeland. Harvard University Press, 2017.