George Washington Williams Publishes First Scholarly Black History

George Washington Williams, a Civil War veteran, lawyer, and Ohio legislator, published 'History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880' in 1882 — the first comprehensive scholarly history of Black Americans. It drew on primary sources and archival research. Williams is also credited with coining the phrase 'crimes against humanity' in his 1890 letter documenting Belgian atrocities in the Congo.