The Master's Slave: Elijah John Fisher A Biography

This early work by Miles Mark Fisher is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. It details the importance and meaning of slave songs in America. This fascinating work is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of all with an interest in slave music and the political history of the United States. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

The songs and spirituals of the American Negro are recognized as unique and valuable contributions to the world. What few people have known, however, is that the Negro spirituals and songs of the antebellum South were more than simply musical expression. They were, in Dr. Fisher's words, the "oral historical documents" of a people. As decoded by Dr. Fisher, the spirituals reveal data respecting their authors, their dates, their places of origin, their plans for escape, and their protests against slavery.