Benjamin Arthur Quarles (January 23, 1904 – November 16, 1996) was an American historian, administrator, educator, and writer, whose scholarship centered on black American social and political history. Major books by Quarles include ''The Negro in the Civil War'' (1953), ''The Negro in the American Revolution'' (1961), ''Lincoln and the Negro'' (1962), and ''Black Abolitionists'' (1969). He demonstrated that blacks were active participants in major conflicts and issues of American history. His books were narrative accounts of critical wartime periods that focused on how blacks interacted with their white allies and emphasized blacks' acting as vital agents of change rather than receiving favors from whites.

Background

Quarles was born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, in 1904. His parents were Margaret (O'Brien), a homemaker, and Arthur Benedict Quarles, a subway porter. As a boy, Benjamin went to local public schools. In his twenties, Quarles enrolled at

Shaw University Shaw University is a Private university, private Baptists, Baptist Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Founded on Decembe ...

, the first historically black college in the South, in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the South ...

, and received his B.A. degree in 1931. He earned his M.A. degree from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

in 1933, and Ph.D. from there in 1940. Initially he faced resistance for wanting to write Black history, but finally received support for his goal. He learned his writing style from Professor William B. Hesseltine. He returned to Shaw, working as an instructor of history (1935–39). He next taught at Dillard University (1939–1953) in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

. There he became a full professor and also served as dean. His last appointment was as professor of history and chair of the department at Morgan State University,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

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(1953–1974). At Morgan, Quarles reached near-legendary status as the long-time head of the History Department. He was a revered teacher and counselor, an intellectual and professional mentor for two generations of African-American scholars. Many of his books became required reading in the African-American history courses that were developed in American universities during the 1960s. This movement was inspired both by the civil rights movement and increasing scholarly interest in the history of minorities and women. After Quarles's official retirement in 1969, he was awarded professor ''emeritus'' status and kept teaching for several years. Quarles was an active member of many political and historical organizations, such as Project Advisory Committee on Black Congress Members, the committee to oversee the founding of the Amistad Center at

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pu ...

, the Department of the Army Historical Advisory Committee, and the American Council of Learned Societies. He was one of the few men in the profession who openly supported the founding of the Association of Black Women Historians.

Author

A prolific writer, Benjamin Quarles published 10 books, 23 articles, and hundreds of shorter pieces of various sorts. In his writings, he focused on exploring in detail the contributions made by the black soldiers and abolitionists of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

(1775–1783), and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

(1861–1865). His essays in the ''Mississippi Valley Historical Review'' in 1945 and 1959 were the first from a Black historian to be published in a major historical journal. His books include: *''

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he becam ...

'' (1948) (published dissertation) *''The Negro in the Civil War'' (1953) *''The Negro in the American Revolution'' (1961) *''Lincoln and the Negro'' (1962) *''The Negro in the Making of America'' (3rd edition, "revised, updated, and expanded", 1987)

964 Year 964 ( CMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II continues the reconquest of south-eastern Anatoli ...

*''Frederick Douglass,'' edited by Benjamin Quarles (1968) (Great Lives Observed) *''Black Abolitionists'' (1969) *''Blacks on John Brown'' (1972) *''Allies for Freedom: Blacks and John Brown'' (1974) *''Black Mosaic: Essays in Afro-American History and Historiography'' (1988)

Legacy and honors

Quarles died in 1996 of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

at the age of 92. * 1988: Publishes ''Black Mosaic: Essays in Afro-American History and Historiography''. Received American Historical Association's Senior Historian Scholarly Distinction Award. * 1988: Morgan State University dedicated The Benjamin A. Quarles African-American Studies Room in the university library, as a repository for his books, manuscripts, and memorabilia. * 1996: Receives the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

Lifetime Achievement Award * 2013: Quarles was inducted into the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc. in Baltimore. * Dr. Benjamin Quarles Place, a short downtown residential street just west of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Baltimore is named after Quarles.

References

External links

"Quarles, Benjamin A. (1904-1996)"
''BlackPast.org''. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
"Dedicated historian, Benjamin Quarles"
''The African American Registry''. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
"Benjamin A. Quarles, January 23, 1904–November 16, 1996"
specialist in African American history, and a mentor, a respected teacher who received many honors - reprinted from a tribute – Obituary]. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{DEFAULTSORT:Quarles, Benjamin Arthur 1904 births 1996 deaths 20th-century African-American writers 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers Academics from Maryland Academics from Massachusetts African-American historians African-American male writers American male non-fiction writers Dillard University faculty Historians from Maryland Historians from Massachusetts Historians of African Americans Historians of the American Revolution Morgan State University faculty Shaw University alumni Shaw University faculty University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Writers from Baltimore Writers from Boston