Afro-Americana imprints, 1535-1922This includes more than 12,000 books, pamphlets and broadsides spanning over 400 years, from the early 16th to the early 20th century. Critically important subjects covered include the West's discovery and exploitation of Africa; the rise of slavery in the New World along with the growth and success of abolitionist movements; the development of racial thought, including political protest and resistance to racism; descriptions of African American life throughout the Americans; and slavery and race in fiction and drama.