Jacob Friefeld, director of the Center for Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, has received the Caroline Bancroft History Prize from the Denver Public Library for “The First Migrants,” a book he co-authored with Richard Edwards. Published by Bison Books, the book examines the migration of Black homesteaders to the Great Plains from 1877 to 1920.

“The First Migrants” recounts the experiences of Black homesteaders who moved to the Great Plains states, using the Homestead Act to acquire land and establish communities such as Nicodemus, Kansas, and DeWitty, Nebraska. The authors use homestead records, diaries, letters and interviews with descendants to explore the challenges and achievements of these settlers who sought new lives despite facing racial discrimination.

“Winning the Caroline Bancroft Prize is a humbling experience—there were so many excellent books up for this award,” Friefeld said. “I’m thankful to the prize committee for seeing the value in our work, and, more importantly, I’m thankful to the homesteader descendants who shared their stories with us.”

Special Collections and Archives at the Denver Public Library awards the Caroline Bancroft History Prize annually. The Caroline Bancroft History Prize committee – comprised of Denver Public Library employees – selects a winning book/author that makes a significant contribution to the historical knowledge, presents thorough and original research, brings a new perspective to some well-known questions and are of high literary quality.

For more information about the Caroline Bancroft History Prize, visit the Denver Public Library Special Collections and Archives website.

The book received the Nebraska Book Award in the nonfiction category. It was also a finalist for the 2024 Spur Award, which recognizes the best Western literature and received an honorable mention for the Jon Gjerde Prize, awarded for the best book in Midwestern history.