First published 2021
Nikole Hannah-Jones presents a reimagined American origin story that begins in late August 1619, when a ship delivered twenty to thirty enslaved Africans to the British colony of Virginia. This moment launched a brutal chattel slavery system that persisted for 250 years and continues to shape contemporary America. Hannah-Jones expands her Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Magazine project into eighteen essays that trace slavery's influence across modern American life, from politics and capitalism to democracy and religion. Thirty-six poems and fictional works illuminate moments of oppression and resistance throughout this history. The essays demonstrate how 1619's legacy permeates traffic patterns, dietary customs, educational practices, and storytelling traditions. Hannah-Jones argues that Black Americans' freedom struggles have expanded democracy for all citizens, while also making a case for reparative justice to address ongoing inequalities and anti-Black racism rooted in this foundational period.
Genres: african-american, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-narrative, social-justice
Setting: America, Virginia
Period: 1619, 21st-century
590 pages · Hardcover · One World
Content warnings: racism, slavery