1.1: Manuscripts from the Amistad Research Center: American Missionary Association (AMA) Archives, 1860-1981, and undated

The Edmund Lee Drago Papers are organized in five series. The first series consists of materials related to Drago’s Initiative, Paternalism, and Race Relations research, documenting the Avery Normal Institute. This includes research done in collections round the country such as the Avery Research Center, the National Archives, Amistad Research Center, Mooreland-Spingarn Research Center. The files are mostly arranged by topic and consist of photocopies and abstracts from primary sources that include correspondence of the American Missionary Association and Avery Normal Institute staff; newspaper clippings, oral histories transcripts (including those of Septima Clark, Bernice Robinson, William A. Saunders, Eugene Hunt, Jr., and Arthur Clement). Included are photographs, organizational minutes and reports, and financial documents, with ddocuments on a number of individuals including Septima Clark, J. Waites Waring, John A. McFall, John Wrighten, and others. Other than Avery itself, subjects include the American Missionary Association, the NAACP, the Charleston Interracial Committee (1942-1953), the Civil Rights movement, race relations in Charleston, with clippings regarding the 1968 Hospital Worker’s Strike; the Highlander School, the Friendly Moralist Society, and various Charleston African American social and fraternal organizations like the Humane Brotherhood Association and the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club. The second series holds photocopies and originals of secondary sources used and consulted in researching and writing Initiative, Paternalism, and Race Relations including book excerpts, articles, and theses. Correspondence between author and publishers, information on royalties, reviews, news clippings, and other materials, such as photographs, regarding the completed manuscript are also included. The third series relates to Drago's work as a founding member of the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture, working as a board member to establish a Research Center, obtaining collections, and being involved in various historical projects invitations, brochures, board meeting minutes, grant applications, speeches, financial reports, and other printed material by or about Avery initiatives such as exhibits, publications, donated materials, and programs. Also holds Drago’s other scholarly works including research material and drafts of “Saving Avery,” the added chapter to the revised "Initiative, Paternalism, and Race Relations." The fourth series holds various printed documents and handwritten notes and drafts regarding the failed attempt to publish an edited transcription of the "Proceedings of the Friendly Moralist Society." The fifth series contains research documents pertaining to Drago's edited volume of Broke by the War: Letters of a Slave Trader. This includes primary and secondary research on Ziba B. Oakes and A.J. McElveen, correspondence with publishers, annotated drafts, newspaper articles, books, images, and indexes.