A new non-fiction account by independent historian Amy Godine sheds light on a most interesting, yet frequently overlooked and misunderstood, 19th century chapter in Adirondack history. In “The Black Woods: Pursuing Racial Justice on the Adirondack Frontier,” she tackles the history of African American settlement in the region, focusing largely on Gerrit Smith’s offer of farmland during the 1840s. Smith, a wealthy central New Yorker, sought to give up to 3,000 Black settlers opportunity to gain the net worth of $250 needed to vote under New York’s voting laws of the era.

This sounds simple on the surface. Smith commissioned scouts around the state to seek out potential recipients for 40-acre plots in the North Elba-Lake Placid area. The number who actually took advantage of the offer proved much fewer. Much of the impact has been lost or glossed over by traditional histories. Godine shows how in many ways the largesse proved much less successful than intended, yet there was more lasting influence than is generally recognized.

There are many surprises, including the presence of other Black settlements in the North Country not mediated by Smith. The author argues Smith might have come closer to his objectives if he had provided not only land, but also much-needed capital to the generally impoverished arrivals. In addition, most grantees came from urban areas. They could have used some practical instruction in agricultural tasks. Furthermore, farming is fraught with difficulty at the best of times in the Adirondacks, and much of the designated acreage was particularly poor in its potential. Temporary housing while families began clearing land and building homes would have also helped.

John Brown settled on the land with the idea of helping new settlers adjust to the climate and learn the basics of farming. However, his abolitionist efforts led to him being absent more than he was there. Yet his influence remains critical to the land’s heritage even to the present.

Though not as many availed themselves of Smith’s offer as had been expected, a number proved able to establish roots. Decades later, some still retained and paid taxes on their deeds. Unfortunately, relatively few gained the right to vote simply from being gifted this land. Even fewer ended up living a self-sufficient agrarian life. A secondary objective was potential for building relationships with neighboring white farmers; success along these lines remains unclear.

Many criticized Smith at the time, including such black leaders as Frederick Douglass. Some cited his restrictive criteria, including his exclusion of anyone using alcohol from participation. Others looked at the grants as being payment in lieu of future political support, although evidence shows this was never the case.

But the majority saw Smith as not merely a philanthropist but a politically active individual ready to speak out on causes that concerned him. He quickly denounced the Fugitive Slave Act, was open in his support of abolitionism and pushed for women’s right to vote. My own view of him tends to be more forgiving than that of the author.

The story is a complicated one, and this book demands careful attention. Godine has unearthed a massive amount of information; I’m somewhat in awe of the research done to support the work. On occasion, she jumps around in chronology, and I needed to flip pages and reorient myself. That’s a minor complaint.

Overall, I found the book very satisfying. This should forever put to rest any thoughts that our region wasn’t part of national issues regarding slavery, racism and human rights — or that such issues are fully settled today.

Godine brings forth the story of Gerrit Smith, a person who deserves to be remembered. And she rescues the names of many more obscure individuals who otherwise might have been entirely lost to history.