Alexander Rankin (1628-1689) was born in Scotland and and later moved to Ireland with his son, William. William may have had seven children, three of which (Adam, John, and Hugh) immigrated to Pennsylvania. Descendants lived in Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and elsewhere.

African Americans have had a profound impact on the economy, culture, and social landscape of southern Appalachia but only after a surge of study in the last two decades have their contributions been recognized by white culture. Appalachians and Race brings together 18 essays on the black experience in the mountain South in the nineteenth century. These essays provide a broad and diverse sampling of the best work on race relations in this region. The contributors consider a variety of topics: black migration into and out of the region, educational and religious missions directed at African Americans, the musical influences of interracial contacts, the political activism of blacks during reconstruction and beyond, the racial attitudes of white highlanders, and much more. Drawing from the particulars of southern mountain experiences, this collection brings together important studies of the dynamics of race not only within the region, but throughout the South and the nation over the course of the turbulent nineteenth century.

Stories about the author's ancestors and family history, some factual, some with fictionalized elements.

The untold story of the heroes of the Underground Railroad.

First Families of Tennessee is a tribute to these men and women who established the state.