"Born in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania at the end of the 18th century to a slave mother and an unknown father, Stephen Smith overcame the handicaps posed by racism and poverty to become one of the wealthiest African Americans in the United States. As his prosperity and prominence increased, Smith also became a recognized and respected leader of the African American community, first in Columbia, Pennsylvania, and later on the state and national level...I have sought to understand the forces that shaped him, the circumstances that allowed him to succeed in business when so many others were unable to do so, and the contributions he made to the African American community." [from the author]
