Skip to main content

First-Time

The Historical Vision of an African American People

Second Edition
A classic of historical anthropology, First-Time traces the shape of historical thought among peoples who had previously been denied any history at all. The top half of each page presents a direct transcript of oral histories told by living Saramakas about their eighteenth-century ancestors, "Maroons" who had escaped slavery and settled in the rain forests of Suriname. Below these transcripts, Richard Price provides commentaries placing the Saramaka accounts into broader social, intellectual, and historical contexts.

First-Time’s unique style of presentation preserves the integrity of both its oral and documentary sources, uniting them in a profound meditation on the roles of history and memory. This second edition includes a new preface by the author, discussing First-Time’s impact and recounting the continuing struggles of the Saramaka people.

208 pages | 44 halftones | 7 x 10 | © 2002

Anthropology: Cultural and Social Anthropology

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Preface
Those Times Shall Come Again
Of Speakers/To Readers
The Events
The Heroic Years, 1685-1748
Toward Freedom, 1749-1759
Free At Last, 1760-1762
References
Thanks
About the Author

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Sign up here for updates about the Press