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Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
The remarkable story of Edward McCabe, a Black man who tried to establish a Black state within the United States.
In this paradigm-shattering work of American history, Caleb Gayle recounts the extraordinary tale of Edward McCabe, a Black man who championed the audacious idea to create a state within the Union governed by and for Black people — and the racism, politics, and greed that thwarted him.
As the sweeping changes and brief glimpses of hope brought by the Civil War and Reconstruction began to wither, anger at the opportunities available to newly freed Black people were on the rise. As a result, both Blacks and whites searched for new places to settle. That was when Edward McCabe, a Black businessman and a rising political star in the American West, set in motion his plans to found a state within the Union for Black people to live in and govern. His chosen Oklahoma, a place that the U.S. government had deeded to Indigenous people in the 1830s when it forced thousands of them to leave their homes under Indian Removal, which became known as the Trail of Tears.
McCabe lobbied politicians in Washington, D.C., Kansas, and elsewhere as he exhorted Black people to move to Oklahoma to achieve their dreams of self-determination and land ownership. His rising profile as a leader and spokesman for Black people as well as his willingness to confront white politicians led him to become known as Black Moses. And like his biblical counterpart, McCabe nearly made it to the promised land but was ultimately foiled by politics, business interests, and the growing ambitions of white settlers who also wanted the land.
In Black Moses, Gayle brings to vivid life the world of Edward the Black people who believed in his dream of a Black state, the white politicians who didn't, and the larger challenges of confronting the racism and exclusion that bedeviled Black people's attempts to carve a place in America for themselves. Gayle draws from extraordinary research and reporting to reveal an America that almost was.
In this paradigm-shattering work of American history, Caleb Gayle recounts the extraordinary tale of Edward McCabe, a Black man who championed the audacious idea to create a state within the Union governed by and for Black people — and the racism, politics, and greed that thwarted him.
As the sweeping changes and brief glimpses of hope brought by the Civil War and Reconstruction began to wither, anger at the opportunities available to newly freed Black people were on the rise. As a result, both Blacks and whites searched for new places to settle. That was when Edward McCabe, a Black businessman and a rising political star in the American West, set in motion his plans to found a state within the Union for Black people to live in and govern. His chosen Oklahoma, a place that the U.S. government had deeded to Indigenous people in the 1830s when it forced thousands of them to leave their homes under Indian Removal, which became known as the Trail of Tears.
McCabe lobbied politicians in Washington, D.C., Kansas, and elsewhere as he exhorted Black people to move to Oklahoma to achieve their dreams of self-determination and land ownership. His rising profile as a leader and spokesman for Black people as well as his willingness to confront white politicians led him to become known as Black Moses. And like his biblical counterpart, McCabe nearly made it to the promised land but was ultimately foiled by politics, business interests, and the growing ambitions of white settlers who also wanted the land.
In Black Moses, Gayle brings to vivid life the world of Edward the Black people who believed in his dream of a Black state, the white politicians who didn't, and the larger challenges of confronting the racism and exclusion that bedeviled Black people's attempts to carve a place in America for themselves. Gayle draws from extraordinary research and reporting to reveal an America that almost was.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published August 12, 2025
52 people are currently reading
1641 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 12, 2025
Day one and I’m already deep into Black Moses. This story is wild — in the best way.
October 4, 2025
Years ago, I read an article in National Geographic about Blacks who fled the South for Kansas after the collapse of Reconstruction. They sought an opportunity to establish independent black communities free from the white vengeance that was unleashed after the federal government removed troops from the South in the late 1870s. I've always been intrigued by the seeming improbability of this first American migration of free Blacks. They seemed to be testing the bounds of what would be the last gasp of possibility for African Americans before the 20th century migrations.
"Black Moses" tells the story of these migrants through the life of Edward McCabe, an entrepreneur who became a booster of black communities. After work as a clerk on Wall Street and studying law in Chicago, McCabe moved to Nicodemus (currently a National Park Service site with a population of 14), a black "exoduster" town in the harsh climes of northwestern Kansas. McCabe became active in the Republican party and was a town clerk and notary. Nicodemus quickly grew to a population of 600, but shifting Republican attitudes towards black equality and an influx of white vigilantes penetrated the relative safety that western Kansas afforded.
McCabe turned his sights to Oklahoma as a possible black haven. As retribution for some Native American support for the confederacy, the federal government had decided to make thousands of acres (once promised to native tribes) of the Oklahoma territory available to settlers. McCabe saw an opportunity to establish black communities. He eventually rose to auditor of the Oklahoma Territory and 50 black towns were established (14 still exist today), but McCabe's push to become governor went nowhere and whites became concerned that he sought to establish a new Haiti in America. The hatred and bigotry that Blacks had fled quickly followed them to Oklahoma. They were soon disenfranchised and McCabe's effort to use the power of politics to shape black life was quashed.
McCabe's story is a reminder of our oft repeated historical pattern of white backlash to black progress.
"Black Moses" tells the story of these migrants through the life of Edward McCabe, an entrepreneur who became a booster of black communities. After work as a clerk on Wall Street and studying law in Chicago, McCabe moved to Nicodemus (currently a National Park Service site with a population of 14), a black "exoduster" town in the harsh climes of northwestern Kansas. McCabe became active in the Republican party and was a town clerk and notary. Nicodemus quickly grew to a population of 600, but shifting Republican attitudes towards black equality and an influx of white vigilantes penetrated the relative safety that western Kansas afforded.
McCabe turned his sights to Oklahoma as a possible black haven. As retribution for some Native American support for the confederacy, the federal government had decided to make thousands of acres (once promised to native tribes) of the Oklahoma territory available to settlers. McCabe saw an opportunity to establish black communities. He eventually rose to auditor of the Oklahoma Territory and 50 black towns were established (14 still exist today), but McCabe's push to become governor went nowhere and whites became concerned that he sought to establish a new Haiti in America. The hatred and bigotry that Blacks had fled quickly followed them to Oklahoma. They were soon disenfranchised and McCabe's effort to use the power of politics to shape black life was quashed.
McCabe's story is a reminder of our oft repeated historical pattern of white backlash to black progress.
December 25, 2025
Totally new to me. So interesting. Undoubtedly worth reading!
August 12, 2025
Been reading Black Moses all week and it’s the most alive history book I’ve read in years. You feel like you’re in the room with McCabe, feeling the stakes, the hopes, the heartbreak.
October 8, 2025
A fascinating biography about Edward McCabe, a Black man, who wanted to create a state for Black people to live and to govern. After the Civil War, McCabe, who had never been enslaved, saw and knew that Black people would always be persecuted and wanted more. And, with land opening up west, due to forced resettlement of the Native Americans, McCabe first started in Kansas, where he became skilled at working the political machine. Later, he did the same in Oklahoma. He is one of the many, who have been lost to history, and Caleb Gayle, brings him to life, through meticulous research and talented storytelling. This is the readable narrative non fiction that is especially needed in these times, where identities and history is being sanitized and erased. Black history is American history and Black Moses is part of this important history.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
ETA: Staff Pick 9/25
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
ETA: Staff Pick 9/25
October 12, 2025
I gave this book five stars because I did like it and I think it is worth reading.
I am also frustrated with it. I wanted more. I was interested in finding out about a man and a movement that wanted to create a black nation (either within the American political system or not.) That is in there. It just feels everytime we get going the book jumps to a new part of the story. I wanted to jump straight to the post civil war western expansion but it would be foolish to write about a man born in 1850 without talking about pre-Reconstruction America. But still it feels like it is rushed or only part of the context.
Which is fine. A book can only be so long and Black Moses touches on a lot of history. He sets up the (I don't know what word to use) confusion with what to do with all the black people who suddenly have the ability to move around. In a simple world the answer would be the same as what happened with the mass number of immigrants coming to America at this time or the Midwest and East Coast second and third sons trying to figure out how to make money as all the land was bought and hierarchies set in.
Reams of paper were spent on those "problems" too. But nothing seems to beat the knots the white power structure ties itself in to keep black people out of socitey as whole. That also is a major simplification on my part. Which is why I am having trouble reviewing the book.
Caleb Gayle does not shy away from acknowledging the land his protagonist wants was taken or stolen from other people. He shows how Edward McCabe runs for office, creates a town using the laws of the day, and buys into the legal system all in the hopes of building a space that black people can live in without interference. What does it mean to try and organize with ambition? There are no saints, just people trying to make money and find security. Do you work within the system trying to keep you out? Do you only organize within your own group?
For me this book is a jumping off point. I need more. How do the black homesteaders relate to the labor battles happening at the same time or the black migration to the Northern cities. How much did the emptying out of the farm (as opposed to the industrial) midwest affect the black settlers who stayed. I am left with questions..which while frustrating is not a bad thing. I am glad I now know Edward McCabe's name and hope to learn about more men and women like him.
I am also frustrated with it. I wanted more. I was interested in finding out about a man and a movement that wanted to create a black nation (either within the American political system or not.) That is in there. It just feels everytime we get going the book jumps to a new part of the story. I wanted to jump straight to the post civil war western expansion but it would be foolish to write about a man born in 1850 without talking about pre-Reconstruction America. But still it feels like it is rushed or only part of the context.
Which is fine. A book can only be so long and Black Moses touches on a lot of history. He sets up the (I don't know what word to use) confusion with what to do with all the black people who suddenly have the ability to move around. In a simple world the answer would be the same as what happened with the mass number of immigrants coming to America at this time or the Midwest and East Coast second and third sons trying to figure out how to make money as all the land was bought and hierarchies set in.
Reams of paper were spent on those "problems" too. But nothing seems to beat the knots the white power structure ties itself in to keep black people out of socitey as whole. That also is a major simplification on my part. Which is why I am having trouble reviewing the book.
Caleb Gayle does not shy away from acknowledging the land his protagonist wants was taken or stolen from other people. He shows how Edward McCabe runs for office, creates a town using the laws of the day, and buys into the legal system all in the hopes of building a space that black people can live in without interference. What does it mean to try and organize with ambition? There are no saints, just people trying to make money and find security. Do you work within the system trying to keep you out? Do you only organize within your own group?
For me this book is a jumping off point. I need more. How do the black homesteaders relate to the labor battles happening at the same time or the black migration to the Northern cities. How much did the emptying out of the farm (as opposed to the industrial) midwest affect the black settlers who stayed. I am left with questions..which while frustrating is not a bad thing. I am glad I now know Edward McCabe's name and hope to learn about more men and women like him.
October 26, 2025
This was recommended by Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming, and of course also by the National Book Award as well.
It is about Edward Preston McCabe, who was born free to free parents, and who appears to be a classic success story of the Reconstruction period. In 1878, after stints as a clerk in New York and Chicago, he arrived at the forlorn town of Nicodemus, Kansas, and took over the local government. He enticed more settlers and helped to foster the town’s increasing prosperity.
After two terms as state auditor, McCabe then lit out for the Oklahoma Territory, where he co-founded the town of Langston, played a prominent role in the founding of Langston University and served as the territory’s assistant auditor. In 1890, he met President Benjamin Harrison in the White House, where he angled for an appointment as territorial governor.
But McCabe was a Black man in Jim Crow America, and while he appeared to have a lot of things going for him, the reach of his dreams of a place for black Americans to be in charge, to command their own fate, became too great a liability for white Americans. Racism shaped the contours of his ambition, and then it crushed him.
The retelling of his life is one way for him to live on, which makes it extra important to read and know about.
It is about Edward Preston McCabe, who was born free to free parents, and who appears to be a classic success story of the Reconstruction period. In 1878, after stints as a clerk in New York and Chicago, he arrived at the forlorn town of Nicodemus, Kansas, and took over the local government. He enticed more settlers and helped to foster the town’s increasing prosperity.
After two terms as state auditor, McCabe then lit out for the Oklahoma Territory, where he co-founded the town of Langston, played a prominent role in the founding of Langston University and served as the territory’s assistant auditor. In 1890, he met President Benjamin Harrison in the White House, where he angled for an appointment as territorial governor.
But McCabe was a Black man in Jim Crow America, and while he appeared to have a lot of things going for him, the reach of his dreams of a place for black Americans to be in charge, to command their own fate, became too great a liability for white Americans. Racism shaped the contours of his ambition, and then it crushed him.
The retelling of his life is one way for him to live on, which makes it extra important to read and know about.
September 24, 2025
I hate rating this book so low because I would definitely recommend purely based on the subject matter. As a lifelong resident of Oklahoma who now teaches Oklahoma History in an Oklahoma school, I love reading stuff like this. My class and I read one of Gayle's articles in The Guardian about McCabe and I think it was one of our best class days yet.
However, I do think there are some issues here. The book is pretty short and one thing I wished for throughout reading was that it was longer and more detailed. I understand a lack of sources can make this difficult, but for a book about McCabe I felt like we really didn't spend enough time with him to form a real connection and there were parts of his life I wish had been expanded on. I also just had some issues with formatting and how the story was mapped out.
The book I think is written very accessibly and the average person could pick this up and get the gist of it. I also think the story is valuable and underrated which is why I would encourage anyone to read it. Oklahoma is full of nuanced stories like this that reflect a larger American story, which is one of the reasons I have grown to love this state. Again, would highly recommend!!
However, I do think there are some issues here. The book is pretty short and one thing I wished for throughout reading was that it was longer and more detailed. I understand a lack of sources can make this difficult, but for a book about McCabe I felt like we really didn't spend enough time with him to form a real connection and there were parts of his life I wish had been expanded on. I also just had some issues with formatting and how the story was mapped out.
The book I think is written very accessibly and the average person could pick this up and get the gist of it. I also think the story is valuable and underrated which is why I would encourage anyone to read it. Oklahoma is full of nuanced stories like this that reflect a larger American story, which is one of the reasons I have grown to love this state. Again, would highly recommend!!
November 12, 2025
Black Moses follows Black activist and organizer Edward McCabe in the years following the Civil War when westward expansion is opened up and hundreds of thousands of Black people are making a mass "exodust" from the South. McCabe, born free in the North, is an educated clerk turned politician turned bureaucrat turned activist who ultimately tries to lead Oklahoma to become the first "Black state," where state government is led by mostly Black elected officials. Basically what McCabe desires is for Black Americans to have an opportunity—or an opportunity for a fair chance, as the author states many times—to govern themselves outside the oppressive reach of white politicians. Of course, you don't need to read the book to guess how the story ends: racism, white supremacy, Jim Crow, corruption and greed eventually turn what could have been a fresh start for hundreds of thousands of Blacks into another oppressive southern state where Constitutional rights are unceremoniously stripped away and McCabe becomes an historical footnote. The final message of the book is clearly not about a victory for human or civil rights but is an ode to a great figure who fought the good fight for his people's rights.
September 26, 2025
3.5
Overall, this was really good. A really thorough and well-researched examination of an overlooked part of history, and a worthy addition to my self-assigned reading on Oklahoma history
However,,,,, I can't prove it but I would bet that this book wasn't initially written to specifically follow McCabe (the titular "Black Moses"). The organization was a little all over the place and it reads as if this was originally written as a more sweeping history that was re-packaged to focus on one person to be more... approachable? marketable? I don't know. There are just sections that are repetitive and then others that are sparse and disjointed... it felt like this was restructured and then not given the editing time to be resynced. I don't normally struggle to follow nonfiction, but something about this one was challenging for me.
Overall, this was really good. A really thorough and well-researched examination of an overlooked part of history, and a worthy addition to my self-assigned reading on Oklahoma history
However,,,,, I can't prove it but I would bet that this book wasn't initially written to specifically follow McCabe (the titular "Black Moses"). The organization was a little all over the place and it reads as if this was originally written as a more sweeping history that was re-packaged to focus on one person to be more... approachable? marketable? I don't know. There are just sections that are repetitive and then others that are sparse and disjointed... it felt like this was restructured and then not given the editing time to be resynced. I don't normally struggle to follow nonfiction, but something about this one was challenging for me.
October 27, 2025
I learned a lot about the Oklahoma Land Runs post-Reconstruction, as well as Edward McCabe and his endeavors to secure a Black state. I was also interested in the comparison of his story and the story of newly-freed Black people to the stories of the people of Israel in the Book of Exodus. As a book, this reads more on the academic side - lots of quoting and referencing - and he spends a lot more time on the lead-up to the Land Run. I could see why this didn’t make the shortlist for the National Book Award, but I still got something out of it.
July 14, 2025
McCabe's audacious ambition forms the heart of this saga. He rose through the political ranks in Kansas first, and then once Oklahoma Territory opened in 1889 he fought to promote his claim that “the advancement of Black people… might best be achieved in Oklahoma”. Although McCabe eventually died with his dream unrealized, Black Moses is a compelling testament to the vision of a man who dared to dream of a better future.
Full review coming soon for Shelf Awareness.
Full review coming soon for Shelf Awareness.
December 24, 2025
I’m mixed on this book. Gayle is an incredible writer. His way with words, and sentence structure is impressive. It really is so well-written.
As a story though, it felt a bit all over the place. I was drawn in because of the title and McCabe, but the book felt like it was about more than that. While that can be positive, I felt it was stronger when it focused more on McCabe rather than the broader reconstruction events.
As a story though, it felt a bit all over the place. I was drawn in because of the title and McCabe, but the book felt like it was about more than that. While that can be positive, I felt it was stronger when it focused more on McCabe rather than the broader reconstruction events.
Currently reading
December 21, 2025Think this was on the NYT best books list - one of the many... actually, it would be on a couple, because that would be required to filter into my Libby hold list! - Story of late 19th century African American politician - who wanted to establish a black state in Oklahoma - facilitated by the infamous "Boomer" land rush.
July 20, 2025
I haven’t read this book yet, but I read an article today about this in The Guardian UK edition newspaper called “If you don’t understand Oklahoma, you can’t understand America” by Caleb Gayle. Terrific article and can’t wait for this book!
September 6, 2025
A tale of the times. Certainly did not know of Edward McCabe and his good works so fascinating in that sense. A little slow in the middle. Thinking of McCabe’s work in Oklahoma and the white response not surprised how the Tulsa Massacre happened
December 8, 2025
DNF at page 141 (48%). I read the chapters on Kansas. Just short on time and need to read other books.
Listened to audiobook and somewhat read the digital book. (Narrator’s pronunciation of Topeka: “TOE-peek-uh” 🙂) Well written. Important Kansas history topic.
Listened to audiobook and somewhat read the digital book. (Narrator’s pronunciation of Topeka: “TOE-peek-uh” 🙂) Well written. Important Kansas history topic.
August 12, 2025
I’ve been waiting on this book for months and it’s here! Caleb Gayle writes with the precision of an archivist and the storytelling flair of a novelist. I learned so much — and I can’t put it down.
September 3, 2025
4.5 it was so interesting reading this history of the state I live in!
Want to read
September 15, 20252025 National Book Awards Longlist for Nonfiction: 3/10
Want to read
September 16, 2025Recommended by Traci Thomas, Unstacked 09/2025
September 26, 2025
I wanted to like it more. For those unfamiliar with Bleeding Kansas or Black Oklahoma towns, this would be great. The narrative was a bit slow, but it was informative.
October 17, 2025
A good book on the attempt to form a Black state.
October 20, 2025
This book provides insight into a facet of black history that is rarely discussed.
October 22, 2025
History of Blacks hoping to create an all Black state during the 1800's.
November 10, 2025
Sensational!!! 🤗
November 14, 2025
History that feels like it should be fiction, but it’s not. Why am I 44 years old and I’ve never heard about this? I can guess why.
Great book! Important history.
Great book! Important history.
Want to read
December 2, 2025NY Times, "100 Notable Books of 2025"
December 26, 2025
thoughts coming shortly
September 3, 2025
More than a biography of Edward McCabe, Black Moses is an epic of ambition, power, and a people’s right to self determination. Most of all, it challenges us to examine what happens when the oppressed attempt to follow the oppressor’s blueprint. Relevant and timely, this is a must read for any and everyone navigating and trying to make sense of this moment in history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews