Benjamin Arthur Quarles

Benjamin Quarles was a writer. He told stories about the past. He wrote about Black people in history. He showed how they helped the land.

Benjamin went to school in many places. He studied very hard. He became a great teacher. He worked at many colleges.

He wrote ten big books. He also wrote many short pieces. His books told about old wars. They showed how people worked for change.

Many people gave him awards. They liked his work. One school even named a room for him. It holds his books.

He helped many people learn. His stories are still important today.

Benjamin Quarles was a famous historian. He was born in Boston in 1904. He loved to study history. He wanted to learn about Black people in America.

Benjamin went to many colleges. He went to Shaw University in North Carolina. Later, he went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He earned a Ph.D. there. At first, some people resisted his work. They did not want him to write Black history. But he did not stop. He eventually got support for his goal.

He worked as a teacher and a leader. He taught at Shaw and Dillard University. He also worked at Morgan State University. He wrote ten books and many articles. His books told about the American Revolution and the Civil War. He showed that Black people were active in these wars. They were agents of change. This means they helped make things happen.

Many groups gave him awards. The Smithsonian Institution gave him a lifetime award. Morgan State University named a room after him. It holds his books and papers. A street in Baltimore is also named for him. He died in 1996 at age 92.

Benjamin Arthur Quarles was a very important American historian and writer. He spent his life studying the history of Black Americans. He wanted to show how Black people helped shape the country. Many people think of history as just dates and names. Quarles showed that people are the real drivers of change. He focused on how Black people acted in big moments. His work helped everyone understand the past much better.

Quarles followed a clear path to become a great scholar. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1904. His father worked as a subway porter. Benjamin went to local public schools as a young boy. Later, he went to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. That was the first historically Black college in the South. He earned his B.A. degree there in 1931. He then went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He earned an M.A. in 1933 and a Ph.D. in 1940.

His career as a teacher and leader was very busy. He first taught history at Shaw University from 1935 to 1939. After that, he moved to Dillard University in New Orleans. He stayed there for many years until 1953. At Dillard, he became a full professor and a dean. His last big job was at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He was the chair of the history department there from 1953 to 1974. Even after he retired, he kept teaching for a long time.

Quarles was a very prolific writer who produced a lot of work. He wrote 10 books and 23 articles. He also wrote hundreds of shorter pieces. Some of his famous books include "The Negro in the Civil War" from 1953. He also wrote "The Negro in the American Revolution" in 1961. His books focused on the American Revolution and the Civil War. He showed that Black soldiers and abolitionists were very active. He proved they were agents of change in American history.

Many groups honored him for his hard work and truth. The Smithsonian Institution gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1988, the American Historical Association gave him a special distinction. Morgan State University even named a room after him in their library. That room holds his books, papers, and other items. A street in Baltimore is also named "Dr. Benjamin Quarles Place." He died in 1996 at the age of 92. His life showed the power of studying the truth.

Benjamin Arthur Quarles was a highly influential American historian, educator, and writer. His life's work focused on the social and political history of Black Americans. He spent decades researching how Black people shaped the United States. Many historians before him did not focus on these specific stories. Quarles changed this by showing that Black Americans were active participants in history. He argued that they were vital agents of change. This means they took action to influence the world around them. He did not just see them as people receiving favors from others.

Quarles followed a dedicated path through higher education. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1904. His father, Arthur Benedict Quarles, worked as a subway porter. His mother, Margaret, was a homemaker. Benjamin attended local public schools before moving on to college. He enrolled at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. This was the first historically Black college in the South. He earned his B.A. degree from Shaw in 1931. Later, he attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He earned an M.A. in 1933 and a Ph.D. in 1940. During his studies, he faced resistance for wanting to write Black history. Eventually, he found support for his important research goals.

His career involved teaching at several major institutions. He began as a history instructor at Shaw University from 1935 to 1939. He then moved to Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He worked there from 1939 until 1953. At Dillard, he rose to the rank of full professor and served as a dean. His final major academic role was at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. He served as a professor of history and the department chair from 1953 to 1974. Even after his official retirement in 1969, he continued to teach. He was eventually awarded the title of professor emeritus for his service.

Quarles was a very prolific author who produced a vast amount of literature. He published 10 books and 23 scholarly articles. He also wrote hundreds of shorter pieces and essays. His writing often focused on major American conflicts. He examined the roles of Black soldiers and abolitionists during specific eras. For example, he studied the American Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783. He also focused on the American Civil War, which occurred from 1861 to 1865. His work helped correct the historical record regarding these periods.

Several of his books became essential texts for understanding American history. In 1948, he published his dissertation titled "Frederick Douglass." He released "The Negro in the Civil War" in 1953. This was followed by "The Negro in the American Revolution" in 1961. He also wrote "Lincoln and the Negro" in 1962. Other works included "Black Abolitionists" in 1969 and "Allies for Freedom" in 1974. He even released an expanded edition of "The Negro in the Making of America" in 1987. His essays in the Mississippi Valley Historical Review were significant milestones. They were the first by a Black historian to appear in a major journal.

Throughout his life, Quarles was deeply involved in many professional organizations. He served on the Department of the Army Historical Advisory Committee. He also worked with the American Council of Learned Societies. He helped oversee the founding of the Amistad Center at Tulane University. He was a member of the Project Advisory Committee on Black Congress Members. Notably, he was one of the few men in his field to support the Association of Black Women Historians. These roles allowed him to influence how history was studied and preserved.

His contributions earned him many prestigious honors and lasting legacies. In 1988, the American Historical Association gave him the Senior Historian Scholarly Distinction Award. The Smithsonian Institution later presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Morgan State University honored him by dedicating a room in their library. The Benjamin A. Quarles African-American Studies Room serves as a repository for his manuscripts and books. In Baltimore, a street named "Dr. Benjamin Quarles Place" honors his memory. He passed away from a heart attack in 1996 at the age of 92. His work continues to connect the study of Black history to the broader story of America.