John David Smith is the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he teaches courses on the American South, the Civil War, and African American slavery and emancipation.
Dr. Smith has written or edited nineteen books, including Black Judas: William Hannibal Thomas and “The American Negro” (2000, 2002) which received The Mayflower Society Award for Nonfiction.
William Hannibal Thomas (1843-1935)
William Hannibal Thomas was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, on May 4, 1843 to free black parents. During his early childhood Thomas’s family moved frequently in search of economic advancement before returning to Ohio in 1857. As a teenager Thomas performed manual labor, attended school … Read MoreWilliam Hannibal Thomas (1843-1935)