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Reading Notes W4, PART B: Details on Gibbs Shadow and Light

Mifflin Wistar Gibbs
·     1823-1915
·     Born in Philadelphia
·     Abolitionist
o  Shared platform with Fredrick Douglas and an active agent in the underground Railroad
·     1850 migrated to San Francisco
·     Founded the first black newspaper in California Mirror of the Times
·     An American Consul to Madagascar 
·       
Shadow and Light (An autobiography published in 1902)
o   “Ignus fatus" meaning a deceptive goal or hope
§ Having faith in a time that Gibbs is present is what ruins people
§ Pessimistic 
o  “Effervescent happiness of some of the worshipers at this shrine was conspicuous”
§ What shrines is he talking about?
o  Hon. John  C. Fremont
§ An American explorer, politican, soldier – first candidate of the republican party
§ “pathfinder for California”
o  Gibbs became a partner in the firm Lester and Gibbs
§ Entrepreneur 
o  “…the evolution of events and march of liberal ideas the colored men in California have now a recognized citizenship, and equality before the law.”
o  Spokesperson for the West Coast’s African Canadian community - taking a prominent role in civil rights protests
o  Jonas P. Townsend, W. H. Newby, others drew up the “Alto California” – the leading paper of the State and it protested against being disfranchised and denied rights of oath and to determined to use all moral means to secure legal claim to all the rights and privileges of American citizen [ to all blacks that were American citizen]
o  Gamblers and dishonest politicians ran government



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