“The Black Seminole saga is the most important untold story in American history… The U.S. Army fought a war with escaped [formerly enslaved Africans) 10 years before the Civil War, and they could not defeat them.” – Joseph A. Opala
The Invisible War, edited by Dr. Y.N. Kly, is a historic account of the past much like The Unconquered, by Tolagbe M. Ogunleye. Covering The African American Anti-Slavery Resistance from the Stono Rebellion through the Seminole Wars, Dr. Kly puts together an informative read that can help clear up any misconceptions in U.S. history.
The book starts with a chapter written by Rodger Lyle Brown where he talks about the historic confrontation between the Africans and Spanish colonist in Florida at what is now known as “Negro Fort.”
The second chapter is done by Dr. Kly himself, and goes over what happened after Negro Fort. This portion covers the African American Insurgency and covers a time period of over 100 years (from 1739-1858).
The third chapter of the book is written by historian Peter H. Woods. In this portion, he discusses the advantages that Africans had over the colonists, including but not limited to: “their greater knowledge of geographic conditions,” expertise in travel, cultivation, and survival.
The fourth portion of the book is an interview called, “The Hidden Muslim Presence of Muslims in early African American History,” with Gullah-Geechee elder Cornelia Bailey.
The fifth chapter is a “Gullah-Geechee Question & Answer” based on research from Gullah historian J. Vernon Cromartie.
The final chapter makes use of the Library of Congress’ war records and is an extensive list of Africans who were captured during war.
The Invisible War should be required reading in the home as it goes over history not included in the education system.
