Zaakir Tameez
@ztameez.bsky.social
Legal Scholar of the Reconstruction Era
My favorite quote? “There are but few who stand rooted, like the oak, against the storm.” — Charles Sumner
My favorite quote? “There are but few who stand rooted, like the oak, against the storm.” — Charles Sumner
Pinned
Zaakir Tameez
@ztameez.bsky.social
· Jun 3
I’m so excited to announce that my book was published today! The book retells the life of Charles Sumner, an abolitionist senator who co-framed the Reconstruction Amendments. I wrote this book with my blood, sweat & tears as a student at Yale Law School. (1/x)
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
Well worth reading.
Charles Sumner was a leading voice in Congress for abolishing slavery and Reconstruction.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an ambitious historical biography written by a law student. It ended up being my favorite book I read in 2025.
www.powells.com/book/charles...
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an ambitious historical biography written by a law student. It ended up being my favorite book I read in 2025.
www.powells.com/book/charles...
Charles Sumner Conscience of a Nation | Powell's Books
A landmark biography of Charles Sumner, the unsung hero of the American Civil War and Reconstruction Charles Sumner is mainly known as the statesman who barely survived a brutal caning on the Senate f...
www.powells.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Well worth reading.
Thank you for the kind words about the book!
December 30, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Thank you for the kind words about the book!
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
Charles Sumner was a leading voice in Congress for abolishing slavery and Reconstruction.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an ambitious historical biography written by a law student. It ended up being my favorite book I read in 2025.
www.powells.com/book/charles...
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an ambitious historical biography written by a law student. It ended up being my favorite book I read in 2025.
www.powells.com/book/charles...
Charles Sumner Conscience of a Nation | Powell's Books
A landmark biography of Charles Sumner, the unsung hero of the American Civil War and Reconstruction Charles Sumner is mainly known as the statesman who barely survived a brutal caning on the Senate f...
www.powells.com
December 29, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Charles Sumner was a leading voice in Congress for abolishing slavery and Reconstruction.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an ambitious historical biography written by a law student. It ended up being my favorite book I read in 2025.
www.powells.com/book/charles...
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an ambitious historical biography written by a law student. It ended up being my favorite book I read in 2025.
www.powells.com/book/charles...
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
Charles Sumner by @ztameez.bsky.social is a biography of the Civil War & Reconstruction era Senator - who most only know as the victim of a violent assault on the Senate floor ahead of the war. Tameez illustrates how complex & revolutionary Sumner was…
1/2
1/2
December 26, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Charles Sumner by @ztameez.bsky.social is a biography of the Civil War & Reconstruction era Senator - who most only know as the victim of a violent assault on the Senate floor ahead of the war. Tameez illustrates how complex & revolutionary Sumner was…
1/2
1/2
Thank you, Dan! Honored to be on this list with these other great authors.
December 19, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Thank you, Dan! Honored to be on this list with these other great authors.
That doesn’t shock me at all— Everett had it coming, imo! Couldn’t take a stand on the central issue of his time.
December 3, 2025 at 1:44 AM
That doesn’t shock me at all— Everett had it coming, imo! Couldn’t take a stand on the central issue of his time.
How did he get the original letter? Was it actually the original letter? How could he possibly present Washington’s desire to recapture Judge in a positive light?
It’s all a bit bizarre and sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to investigate any of these questions in the book.
It’s all a bit bizarre and sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to investigate any of these questions in the book.
December 3, 2025 at 1:34 AM
How did he get the original letter? Was it actually the original letter? How could he possibly present Washington’s desire to recapture Judge in a positive light?
It’s all a bit bizarre and sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to investigate any of these questions in the book.
It’s all a bit bizarre and sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to investigate any of these questions in the book.
I didn’t know that. Interesting. This quote is from his 1852 “Freedom National” speech. During the speech, Sumner allegedly pulled out the original handwritten letter from Washington seeking the recapture of Ona Judge. He praised Washington for only encouraging capture if it didn’t excite “a mob.”
December 3, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I didn’t know that. Interesting. This quote is from his 1852 “Freedom National” speech. During the speech, Sumner allegedly pulled out the original handwritten letter from Washington seeking the recapture of Ona Judge. He praised Washington for only encouraging capture if it didn’t excite “a mob.”
Bizarre. That’s terrific— Sumner has a quote about G Washington that should be on your radar if it isn’t already.
December 3, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Bizarre. That’s terrific— Sumner has a quote about G Washington that should be on your radar if it isn’t already.
Nice! No idea why there’s a sale right now— Cyber Monday, I suppose?
December 3, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Nice! No idea why there’s a sale right now— Cyber Monday, I suppose?
Charles Sumner is less than $3.00 on Amazon Kindle right now! Flash sale?
December 3, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Charles Sumner is less than $3.00 on Amazon Kindle right now! Flash sale?
Fascinating. Thanks! No need to send— I’m on a Sumner hiatus for the foreseeable future 😂
October 14, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Fascinating. Thanks! No need to send— I’m on a Sumner hiatus for the foreseeable future 😂
Wow! That’s fascinating. Admittedly, I didn’t know about the Waylon case. Where did you get this document?
You likely already know this but— the National Archives bldg in Waltham MA has many of Sumner’s case files. They are poorly organized but the librarians are helpful if contacted in advance.
You likely already know this but— the National Archives bldg in Waltham MA has many of Sumner’s case files. They are poorly organized but the librarians are helpful if contacted in advance.
October 14, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Wow! That’s fascinating. Admittedly, I didn’t know about the Waylon case. Where did you get this document?
You likely already know this but— the National Archives bldg in Waltham MA has many of Sumner’s case files. They are poorly organized but the librarians are helpful if contacted in advance.
You likely already know this but— the National Archives bldg in Waltham MA has many of Sumner’s case files. They are poorly organized but the librarians are helpful if contacted in advance.
He is indeed. An extraordinary book
September 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
He is indeed. An extraordinary book
Guest link— www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/b...
A Foremost Scholar of Slavery Wonders if America Can Ever Atone
www.nytimes.com
September 9, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Guest link— www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/b...
My review of Eric Foner’s new book, “Our Fragile Freedoms,” for the New York Times—
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/b...
A Foremost Scholar of Slavery Wonders if America Can Ever Atone
www.nytimes.com
September 9, 2025 at 1:35 PM
My review of Eric Foner’s new book, “Our Fragile Freedoms,” for the New York Times—
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/b...
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
By interesting coincidence, I just read about this event in @ztameez.bsky.social‘s excellent new biography of Charles Sumner. Sumner was the attorney who argued the case before the MA Supreme Court. A century later, his arguments helped form the basis for the arguments in Brown v Board.
September 9, 2025 at 1:00 AM
By interesting coincidence, I just read about this event in @ztameez.bsky.social‘s excellent new biography of Charles Sumner. Sumner was the attorney who argued the case before the MA Supreme Court. A century later, his arguments helped form the basis for the arguments in Brown v Board.
Here’s a thread from a reader with some excerpts from the book! 📚
Finished @ztameez.bsky.social’s fantastic bio of Charles Sumner. It’s inspiring, really well-written and researched, and quite moving.
It might be my favorite book of the year. Bravo!
Thanks for the rec @tracynovick.bsky.social and @lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com!
Some lessons I took 👇🏻
It might be my favorite book of the year. Bravo!
Thanks for the rec @tracynovick.bsky.social and @lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com!
Some lessons I took 👇🏻
September 6, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Here’s a thread from a reader with some excerpts from the book! 📚
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
Sumner’s brief in the Roberts case is not well-known, but it should be. It is stunningly perceptive about the psychological impact of segregation, and reads like the first filing in Brown v. Board of Education, decided over 100 years later.
Happy first day of school, Boston!
And a happy new school opening day to The Sarah Roberts.
Sarah and her father Benjamin filed the first school desegregation suit in US history in 1849.
She was represented by Robert Morris, the first Black attorney in MA, and future US Senator Charles Sumner.
And a happy new school opening day to The Sarah Roberts.
Sarah and her father Benjamin filed the first school desegregation suit in US history in 1849.
She was represented by Robert Morris, the first Black attorney in MA, and future US Senator Charles Sumner.
The Sarah Roberts Case (U.S. National Park Service)
www.nps.gov
September 4, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Sumner’s brief in the Roberts case is not well-known, but it should be. It is stunningly perceptive about the psychological impact of segregation, and reads like the first filing in Brown v. Board of Education, decided over 100 years later.
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
Happy first day of school, Boston!
And a happy new school opening day to The Sarah Roberts.
Sarah and her father Benjamin filed the first school desegregation suit in US history in 1849.
She was represented by Robert Morris, the first Black attorney in MA, and future US Senator Charles Sumner.
And a happy new school opening day to The Sarah Roberts.
Sarah and her father Benjamin filed the first school desegregation suit in US history in 1849.
She was represented by Robert Morris, the first Black attorney in MA, and future US Senator Charles Sumner.
The Sarah Roberts Case (U.S. National Park Service)
www.nps.gov
September 4, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Happy first day of school, Boston!
And a happy new school opening day to The Sarah Roberts.
Sarah and her father Benjamin filed the first school desegregation suit in US history in 1849.
She was represented by Robert Morris, the first Black attorney in MA, and future US Senator Charles Sumner.
And a happy new school opening day to The Sarah Roberts.
Sarah and her father Benjamin filed the first school desegregation suit in US history in 1849.
She was represented by Robert Morris, the first Black attorney in MA, and future US Senator Charles Sumner.
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
Charles Sumner, 1875, by #AnneWhitney (American, 1821-1915), who was born #otd, Sept 2. Located in General MacArthur Square, Cambridge, MA.
#womenartists #artherstory
#womenartists #artherstory
September 2, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Charles Sumner, 1875, by #AnneWhitney (American, 1821-1915), who was born #otd, Sept 2. Located in General MacArthur Square, Cambridge, MA.
#womenartists #artherstory
#womenartists #artherstory
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
DID YOU KNOW that the PEN with which President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation is at the Massachusetts Historical Society, because Senator Charles Sumner asked for it??
TIL from @ztameez.bsky.social’s Sumner bio!
www.masshist.org/database/4
TIL from @ztameez.bsky.social’s Sumner bio!
www.masshist.org/database/4
MHS Collections Online: Pen used by Abraham Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation
Massachusetts Historical Society, Collections Online: Pen used by Abraham Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation
www.masshist.org
September 1, 2025 at 7:07 PM
DID YOU KNOW that the PEN with which President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation is at the Massachusetts Historical Society, because Senator Charles Sumner asked for it??
TIL from @ztameez.bsky.social’s Sumner bio!
www.masshist.org/database/4
TIL from @ztameez.bsky.social’s Sumner bio!
www.masshist.org/database/4
Reposted by Zaakir Tameez
@ztameez.bsky.social’s bio of Charles Sumner: such a good read and I am learning so much!
August 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
@ztameez.bsky.social’s bio of Charles Sumner: such a good read and I am learning so much!