These African American biographies covering the lives of people from the 1800s are part of a series of posts on this time period. In my book, A Place to Belong, I share the importance of biographies in our children’s education. It’s nearly impossible to write about a person’s life without including details on the world around them, so learning about a single person allows us to examine an entire society.

“Biographies and autobiographies often shed light on how people lived and what they received and gave to those around them, providing day-in-the-life glimpses contextualized within a broader historical perspective. They’re gold mines for learning about people and the spaces in which they operate.”

Amber O’Neal Johnston, A Place to Belong

This series of Black History books covering the 1800s focuses on enslavement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. It includes Picture Books About Slavery and Freedom and forthcoming posts highlighting my nonfiction, historical fiction, and morning time picks. When the series is complete, I’ll share a summary with links to everything for easy use.

Grade levels

As you explore the books below, I suggest that you not get bogged down by grade levels. I’ve broken the book list up by grades because these are actual plans for my specific children, and the age levels may help you narrow things down. However, books don’t have exact grades assigned to them.

Your fourth grader may be ready to read what my middle schooler is reading, or your middle schooler may enjoy some lighter reading in this subject. You may want to cut down on purchases by having all of your kids read the same books, or perhaps you’re going to read a couple of these books aloud to your entire family. Use these books however you see fit within your own home or classroom.

Free reads

These are books that aren’t scheduled in my kids’ lessons but are included in their silent reading options for the year. Basically, my kids can choose to read these in any order, at their leisure, without assigned page numbers or chapters. They’re just as good and important as the books that I schedule (so feel free to swap with confidence), and there’s a high probability that they’ll all be read.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases of these African American biographies using these links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

1st grade

My first grader will fully participate in morning time, so he’ll experience the Picture Books About Slavery and Freedom with the family, but he’ll also have his own separate history plans. He’ll study Native Americans, in general, with a special emphasis on Cherokee life (then and now) because of where we live (Georgia). He will also be studying Black Cowboys and completing a good chunk of Joyful Generations, my most recent Heritage Pack, which was written with him in mind. Preorder my book to get FREE Heritage Packs!

4th grade

My 4th grader has had exposure to many historical figures from this time period through our family read alouds, discussions, videos, and field trips, but this will be his first time officially studying the 1800s in his lessons. This year will be an opportunity for him to become immersed in the lives of these great African Americans as an independent reader, and I selected important stories that I think he’ll find especially interesting. I intentionally included African American biographies about women because their voices are often left out and skipped over, especially by boys.

Term 1: Sojourner Truth by Patricia & Frederick McKissack

Term 2: Frederick Douglass by Arna Bontemps

Term 3: George Washington Carver by Arna Bontemps

Free reads:

Diary of Charlotte Forten: A Free Black Girl Before the Civil War

Journey to the Bottomless Pit: The Story of Stephen Bishop & Mammoth Cave by Elizabeth Mitchell

Nat Turner by Judith Berry Griffin

Four Took Freedom by Philip Sterling and Rayford Logan

6th grade

I’ve included two books in each term for my 6th grader because she’s a fast reader and often reads biographies in her free time. I’ve learned to plan ahead and schedule plenty of reading in her favorite genres (biography and historical fiction), so I don’t have to scramble to select additional books in the middle of the year. Beyond these selections, my 6th grader is also welcome to read her older sister’s books if she’d like. Note: The pink Carved in Ebony book pictured on my stairs at the bottom of this post is the adult version, but I’m assigning the young reader’s version (blue cover below) for my daughter. It comes out in August 2022, and I’ve preordered it.

Term 1:

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave

Carved in Ebony, Young Readers Edition by Jasmine L. Holmes

Term 2:

In Chains to Louisiana, Solomon Northup’s Story adapted by Michael Knight

At Her Majesty’s Request: An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter Dean Myers

Term 3:

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Mary Mcleod Bethune by Emma Gelders Sterne

Free reads:

Nat Turner and the Virginia Slave Revolt by Rivvy Neshama

Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker: The Unlikely Friendship of Elizabeth Keckley & Mary Todd Lincoln by Lynda Jones

Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl by Tonya Bolden

African American Women of the Old West by Tricia Martineau Wagner

7th grade

Unlike her sister, my oldest daughter isn’t dying to read historical biographies. She’d much prefer to read a contemporary biography about a living person. Because I know she won’t necessarily choose to read these outside of her scheduled lessons and silent reading times, I try to choose carefully. The Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington books include important details about these major historical figures that I don’t want her to miss. And the Rebels Agaist Slavery book provides a view of history that’s rarely examined in most history texts. It’s also written by one of her favorite authors, so I know she’ll be intrigued from the very beginning. The free reads that she’s sharing with her sister are shorter, high-interest books that she’ll enjoy.

Term 1: There Once Was a Slave: The Heroic Story of Frederick Douglass by Shirley Graham

Term 2: Rebels Against Slavery by Patricia & Frederick McKissack

Term 3: Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Free reads: (Same as 6th grader above)

Nat Turner and the Virginia Slave Revolt by Rivvy Neshama

Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker: The Unlikely Friendship of Elizabeth Keckley & Mary Todd Lincoln by Lynda Jones

Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl by Tonya Bolden

African American Women of the Old West by Tricia Martineau Wagner

Out-of-print books

I’m aware that several of the books listed below are out of print and possibly cost-prohibitive. I always shop my own bookshelves before purchasing new books, so my selection of African American biographies reflects what my family owns. I can assure you that I purchased these books over the years at very reasonable prices, and I don’t recommend that you pay a ton of money for any of them so please don’t feel pressure to do so. In many cases, you can find used copies on Bookfinder. You can also choose a different book about the same person or topic, or skip a hard-to-find book in favor of another option from the ones that I’ve shared. And these are only the biographies. I’ll also be sharing historical fiction and nonfiction soon, so there will be PLENTY to choose from!