James Baldwin (1841 – 1925) was born in Indiana. He served as the superintendent of Indiana’s school system for eighteen years and then went on to become a widely published textbook editor and children’s author in the subjects of legends, mythology, biography, and literature, among others. He wrote more than fifty books, the most famous of which include Fifty Famous Stories Retold (1896) and Abraham Lincoln, a True Life (1904)
The short stories offered in our collection are from Fifty Famous Stories Retold.
The James Baldwin cited here should not be confused with the American novelist, essayist and civil rights activist (1924-1987). The latter’s works are not yet available in the public domain. Readers interested in African-American literature might wish to visit our African-American Library.