Forbidden Love

by Gary B. Nash

Forbidden Love is a pathbreaking book that only a master historian could write. The first work for younger readers to describe the true history of racial mixing in America, it exposes how desperately some people have fought to guard our racial borderlines.

Gary Nash, a past president of the Organization of American Historians, has been instrumental in rethinking how history should be taught in schools. Now, starting with John Rolfe and Pocahontas, pausing to compare the United States with Canada and Mexico, and ending with his own multiracial classrooms, he shows how racial mixing, and the fear of it, is at the heart of American history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Gary B. Nash was a distinguished American historian known for his scholarship on the American Revolutionary era, slavery, and the experiences of marginalized communities in shaping early U.S. history. A graduate of Princeton University, where he earned both his undergraduate and doctoral degrees, Nash also served in the U.S. Navy before embarking on an academic career. He taught at Princeton and then at UCLA, where he became a full professor and later held key administrative roles focused on educational development.
Nash's work highlighted the roles of working-class individuals, African Americans, Native Americans, and women in the nation's founding, challenging traditional narratives centered solely on elite figures. His inclusive approach often sparked debate, notably with historian Edmund Morgan, who questioned the broader impact of the grassroots movements Nash emphasized.
Beyond academia, Nash was instrumental in shaping history education in the United States. He co-directed the development of the National History Standards and led the National Center for History in the Schools. A past president of the Organization of American Historians, he was also a member of numerous esteemed scholarly societies. Throughout his career, Nash authored or contributed to dozens of influential books, articles, and essays that left a lasting mark on the field.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most eye opening reads I have ever had. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and constantly reference it and recommend it.

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marrying a woman from a different racial background, this book really helped gain a deeper appreciation for the history of interracial marriage. I had long been aware of the struggles and risk of many couples before that led to allowing for interracial marriage in the United States. Yet, in reading this book the many stories of these couples greatly impacted me and deepened my appreciation of what they had done. This really is am important book on the history of diversity in the United States in general. It reviews the role of the social sciences and politics in shaping racial attitudes against interracial marriage. Later, it showed how the arts, the social sciences, and politics help bridge the way for greater acceptance of these relationships and marriages. I found myself appreciating this book on various levels. As a white man married to a black woman, I appreciated it on a very personal level. Similarly, as a father of biracial children, I deeply appreciated this book on a personal level. As a scholar and social scientist, I also greatly appreciated the honest detailing of the history from a scholarly perspective. This is a wonderful book.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given our history of slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, we Americans have a rather long history of emotional baggage when we discuss romance and love between whites and black. In Forbidden Love, Gary Nash examines relationships among several ethnic groups - Japanese, white, black, Hispanic, Native American, etc. He delineates the social and legal barriers people had to brave to marry ad then live in a society almost obsessed with miscegenation. He could have focused on the barriers and stopped there, but he also stressed the essential humanity of all people and the futile effort of society to deny them the right to choose a partner. The success of his book for me rests on this emphasis. It is simply not my business to tell others which ethnic group they must marry, and Professor Nash points out the futility trying to do so.

[marcali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profoundly informative non-fiction-- never mind the cheesy cover & Dewey classification as juvenile/young adult!
Reviews the unfolding of the United States, focusing on the overlooked history of a multi-racial society. wonderfully written-- includes end footnotes with sources for further information about specific people and events.

[Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book for school