| Book Review | The American Historical Review, 109.5

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to the AHR online. About 318 words from this article are provided below; about 614 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the American Historical Association, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time. AHA members can go to the AHA individual membership section to locate their member numbers.
If you are not a member of the American Historical Association, you can:: • Join the AHA and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the American Historical Review.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the American Historical Review (104.3-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the American Historical Review.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The American Historical Review, 109.5 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Canada and the United States

Shane White. Stories of Freedom in Black New York. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 2002. Pp. 260. $27.95.
Shane White's compelling work is in fact two books in one: the first an examination of daily life among emancipated black Americans in New York City during the 1820s and 1830s, and the second a study of the rise and fall of the African Theatre Company within the same period. According to White, black life during the first few years of emancipation "possessed a distinctive edge, a particular kind of restless vitality" (p. 8). This newfound energy among black New Yorkers is described in some detail; the first chapter, for instance, analyzes various accounts of blacks who made use of their independence and freedom. Most importantly, black New Yorkers focused their cultural expressions in the performing arts. The result was "the development and expression of distinctive African American aesthetic principles at some remove from those prized by the dominant culture" (p. 67).	1
Chapter two, "Staging Freedom," shifts gears to explore the African Grove Company. This company (later called the African Theatre Company), was led by the playwright William Brown (author of the nonextant The Drama of King Shotaway, the first recorded play by an African American) and the charismatic actor-producer, James Hewlett. Hewlett had earlier offered William Shakespeare's Richard III and other productions to mixed audiences. For several seasons, the African Grove Company was able to overcome significant opposition to its productions, including attempts by rowdy whites in the audience, and the police, as well as negative reviews from the white press to shut the theater down. At one point, White compares the ways in which the productions were received; white audiences were often shocked that blacks were more than capable of presenting Shakespearean drama, while blacks encouraged the productions as exemplars of civic pride and cultural awareness.	. . .

There are about 614 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.