Jonathan Katz manuscripts and research materials

1967-1976

Jonathan Ned Katz is a historian specializing in gay and lesbian issues and in African-American slavery during the ninteenth century. He was educated at Antioch College, 1956-1957; College of the City of New York, 1957-1959; New School for Social Research, 1961-1962; and Hunter College, 1972. He has taught gay and lesbian history at New York University, the New School for Social Research, and elsewhere. Katz has not conducted research on African-American history since the 1970's. The Jonathan Katz Research Collection is comprised of manuscripts and supporting research material concerning African-American history, particularly slavery during the nineteenth century. The collection consists of handwritten manuscripts, drafts, and typescripts of books and pamphlets written by Katz. In addition, there is correspondence between Katz and his publishers, research institutions, and scholars in the field. There are also index card notes, printed matter and news clippings relating to Katz's production of several radioscripts on African-American and Native American history, and to his book, "Resistance at Christiana," written in the late 1960's. The works which are represented in the collection are: "Black Pioneers in America. Biographical Narratives of six 19th century Black Americans: Frederic Douglass, Jonah Henson, Charlotte Forten, Nat Love, William Parker, and Susan King Taylor"; "Black Resistance to the United States Fugitive Slave Law" (a documentary study); "The Dispute Over the Ownership of Anthony Burns" (the story of the arrest and trial of fugitive slave Anthony Burns, 1854; 1967); "Inquest at Christiana" and "Resistance to Christiana" (a play adapted from the original documents regarding a slaveowner from Maryland who travelled to Pennsylvania to reclaim four of his runaway slaves and was shot to death in the ensuing riot in 1851; 1974); and "Red Man/White Man" (historic documents of the conflict between the American Indian and the white man, 1967).