2019 Reprint of 1921 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. An early proponent of Pan-Africanism, Jackson was an African American minister and preacher. As the title suggests, Jackson argues the fundamental importance of the early civilization of the descendents of Ham and the history of the Black Kingdoms of Ghana, Melle, Songhay and Hansas. He also discusses the history of the Early American Black man and woman. According to Jackson: "it is very essential that every race should possess a correct knowledge of its own past history. The masses of the American negro have been deprived of the opportunity of obtaining an adequate knowledge of the past history of the black man. The average historian has not considered the ancient history of the black man of sufficient importance to claim his attention. Even Mr. Myers would have the students of his general history believe that the black man has always been a hewer of wood and a drawer of water." He Concludes: "At considerable expense and with much labor and research, the writer has succeeded in collecting what he considers a great deal of valuable information, which he has placed in this little book and given to the public at a cost within the reach of everyone who desires valuable information upon the past and present history of the black man. A brief reference will be made to the origin of the race, the rise of the Ethiopian and Egypt, and the early influence of African civilization upon the ancient history of the world. Considerable space will be given to the black kingdoms of Soudan and the high degree of civilization which was found to exist among them before the arrival of white explorers. The following are some of the kingdoms to which reference will be made at some length: namely: Ghana, Melle, Songhay and Hansas. It will also be shown that Spain was ruled by a black dynasty of Africa for more than half a century, 1086-1147. Much space will be given to the history of the American negro, 1619 to the present date."