In Almost Free, Eva Sheppard Wolf uses the story of Samuel Johnson, a free black man from Virginia attempting to free his family, to add detail and depth to our understanding of the lives of free blacks in the South. There were several paths to freedom for slaves, each of them difficult. After ten years of elaborate dealings and negotiations, Johnson earned manumission in August 1812. An illiterate "mulatto" who had worked at the tavern in Warrenton as a slave, Johnson as a freeman was an anomaly, since free blacks made up only 3 percent of Virginia's population. Johnson stayed in Fauquier County and managed to buy his enslaved family, but the law of the time required that they leave Virginia if Johnson freed them. Johnson opted to stay. Because slaves' marriages had no legal standing, Johnson was not legally married to his enslaved wife, and in the event of his death his family would be sold to new owners. Johnson's story dramatically illustrates the many harsh realities and cruel ironies faced by blacks in a society hostile to their freedom. Wolf argues that despite the many obstacles Johnson and others faced, race relations were more flexible during the early American republic than is commonly believed. It could actually be easier for a free black man to earn the favor of elite whites than it would be for blacks in general in the post-Reconstruction South. Wolf demonstrates the ways in which race was constructed by individuals in their day-to-day interactions, arguing that racial status was not simply a legal fact but a fluid and changeable condition. Almost Free looks beyond the majority experience, focusing on those at society's edges to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of freedom in the slaveholding South. A Sarah Mills Hodge Fund Publication

The story of Free Frank is not only a testament to human courage and resourcefulness but affords new insight into the American frontier. Born a slave in the South Carolina piedmont in 1777, Frank died a free man in 1854 in a town he had founded in western Illinois. His accomplishments, creditable for any frontiersman, were for a black man extraordinary. We first learn details of Frank's life when in 1795 his owner moved to Pulaski County, Kentucky. We know that he married Lucy, a slave on a neighboring farm, in 1799. Later he was allowed to hire out his time, and when his owner moved to Tennessee, Frank was left in charge of the Kentucky farm. During the War of 1812, he set up his own saltpeter works, an enterprise he maintained until he left Kentucky. In 1817 he purchased his wife's freedom for $800; two years later he bought his own liberty for the same price. Now free, he expanded his activities, purchasing land and dealing in livestock. With his wife and four of his children, Free Frank left Kentucky in 1830 to settle on a new frontier. In Pike County, Illinois, he purchased a farm and later, in 1836, platted and successfully promoted the town of New Philadelphia. The desire for freedom was an obvious spur to his commercial efforts. Through his lifetime of work he purchased the liberty of sixteen members of his family at a cost of nearly $14,000. Goods and services commanded a premium in the life of the frontier. Free Frank's career shows what an exceptional man, through working against great odds, could accomplish through industry, acumen, and aggressiveness. His story suggests a great deal about business activity and legal practices, as well as racial conditions, on the frontier. Juliet Walker has performed a task of historical detection in recreating the life of Free Frank from family traditions, limited personal papers, public documents, and secondary sources. In doing so, she has added a significant chapter to the history of African Americans.

mort•gage (mor´-gij) n. from Old French morgage, mort gage, literally “death pledge” As a wave of foreclosures sweeps the country, many people are giving up hope for owning a home of their own. They have good reason to turn their backs on the banks, but not on their dreams. In this revised edition of Mortgage Free!, Rob Roy offers a series of escape routes from enslavement to financial institutions, underscored by true stories of intrepid homeowners who have put their principles into action. From back-to-the-land homesteads to country homes, here is a complete guide to strategies that allow you to own your land and home, free and clear, without the bank. Included is detailed advice about: Clarifying and simplifying your notions of what’s necessary Finding land that you love and can afford Taking control of the house-building process, for the sake of sanity and pleasure Learning to take a long-term perspective on your family’s crucial economic decisions, avoiding debt and modern-day serfdom

Notes and documents is 294 pages, with Table of contents, Appendix, Bibliography, Endnotes, and Index. The book chronicles are of an African American Family who were designated as Free Persons of Color, in Colonial Virginia. They were Virginia's own Creole Population.

Bhagabata” Was Composed By Vyasa Deva, Son Of Sage Parasar, On The Advice Of The Great Sage Narada. Vyasa Deva Compiled All The Eighteen Puranas And The Great Epic Mahabharata. But Even So He Did Not Gain Mental Satisfaction From Them. Sage Narada Advised Him To Write Something For The Guidance Of The Common Man, To Live A Stainless Life On Earth, To Earn Mental Peace. That Was What Brought About The Great Scripture Bhagabata. We Know How Popular Bhagabata Became With The Common Masses In Its Translations In The Regional Languages All Over India. From Our Own Experience In Orissa We Know How Popular The Didactic Sayings Of The Scripture In Its Translation By Saint-Poet Jagannath Das Became In The 16Th Century And How It Has Maintained Its Popularity All These Hundreds Of Years. A Couple Of Its Popular Sayings Will Show Its Merit At A Glance: 1) He Is Praiseworthy Person On Earth, Who Does Well To Others In His Life’S Path. 2) Whose Heart Is Bereft Of Ire, Is Friend To The World Entire