SuitabookA life in a changing capital
Michael Shiner’s life and journal anchor an account of Washington’s growth across more than 60 years.
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Book details
Tonya Bolden - Author
A personal life provides a route into Washington’s changing landscape and national history, with diary passages and images offering more than a straightforward overview.
Book Brief
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Sign in for personalised guidanceA personal life provides a route into Washington’s changing landscape and national history, with diary passages and images offering more than a straightforward overview.
Michael Shiner’s life and journal anchor an account of Washington’s growth across more than 60 years.
The book identifies Shiner as formerly enslaved and includes the end of slavery among the historical changes it covers.
The book addresses enslavement and its ending, as well as the burning of Washington during the War of 1812 and the Civil War; these subjects may invite questions or require discussion.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: some draft conclusions still depend on unresolved evidence.
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Checked: 28 September 2026.
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