A Biohistory of 19th-Century Afro-Americans: The Burial Remains of a Philadelphia Cemetery

The First African Baptists Church (FABC) remains were accidentally discovered and eventually excavated during the 1980s in Philadelphia. The history and artifacts of the church and cemetery, active from 1823 to 1850, provide a glimpse into the life of the poorest segment of Philadelphia society. Who these people were and the conditions of their lives is the focus of this book. Using census data, skeletal remains, and church documents, Dr. Rankin-Hill recreates the life of this community and compares their conditions to that of other Afro-Americans living in the United States.