Before the Movement

'Penningroth's conclusions emerge from an epic research agenda.... Before the Movement presents an original and provocative account of how civil law was experienced by Black citizens and how their 'legal lives' changed over time . . . [an] ambitious, stimulating, and provocative book.' -Eric Foner, New York Review of BooksShortlisted for the Cundill History PrizeWinner of the Merle Curti Social History Award from the Organization of American HistoriansWinner of the Ellis W. Hawley Prize from the Organization of American HistoriansWinner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal HistoryWinner of the James Willard Hurst PrizeA prize-winning scholar draws on astonishing new research to demonstrate how Black people used the law to their advantage long before the Civil Rights Movement.