First published in 1903, The Souls of Black Folk is an American classic of race, culture and education at the turn of the twentieth century. The book contains several essays on race, some of which had been previously published in a magazine called, Atlantic Monthly. This book comprises fourteen essays written between 1897 and 1903 that range across social, political and economic history, religion and education, psychology, the sociology of music, autobiography and fiction. Throughout the book, Du Bois talks about the black man's struggle before, during and after the Civil War and Reconstruction. He has praised how the African-Americans had the potential to become great contributors to society. Du Bois drew from his own experiences to develop this groundbreaking work in American society. The Souls of Black Folk also holds an important place in social science as one of the first works to deal with sociology.