Alachua County's African American ancestry contributed significantly to the area's history. Onceenslaved pioneers Richard and Juliann Sams settled in Archer as early as 1839. They were former slaves of James M. Parchman, who journeyed through the wilderness from Parchman, Mississippi. They and others shaped the county's history through inventions, education, and work ethics based on spirituality. This book shows people working together, from the early1800s rural farm life, when racial violence was routine, until African Americans broke the chains of injustice and started organizing and controlling civic affairs.