Author Linda Lowery chronicles the extraordinary–but little-known–life of black pioneer Aunt Clara Brown. Aunt Clara bought herself out of slavery, crossed the country on foot to reach the frontier, became a wealthy entrepreneur, aided other freed slaves, and eventually tracked down her lost daughter, sold away from Clara 47 years before. An inspiring piece of American history.
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Who was Aunt Clara Brown? She was a pioneer, crossing the country on foot to join the frontier communities of Colorado in the 1850s. She was an entrepreneur, starting a successful business, buying land and property, and eventually becoming one of the wealthiest women in the West. She was a philanthropist, donating money wherever there were people in need. She was a mother, tirelessly searching throughout her life for her lost daughter. Determined, savvy, generous, faithful, Aunt Clara was a remarkable person. What makes her even more remarkable is that Aunt Clara was born a slave and wasn't free to undertake these things until she was fifty-six years old.
Scouring musty archives and unearthing long-forgotten letters, diaries, and newspaper articles, author Linda Lowery brings Clara's amazing story, lost for over a century, to light. An inspiration for anyone, of any age, it offers a unique perspective on the tumultuous events of mid-19th-century America.
—from the dust jacket
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