Israel on the Appomattox: A Southern Experiment in Black Freedom from the 1790s Through the Civil War, is (2004), a non-fiction book by American historian Melvin Patrick Ely, tells the story of Israel Hill, a free black community in the slave state of Virginia. For Israel on the Appomattox, Ely received the prestigious Bancroft Prize.
Israel Hill developed as a community of free black people in Prince Edward County, Virginia along the Appomattox River around 1810. It was established by Judith Randolph after the death of her husband Richard Randolph who inherited land and slaves from his father. He was a nephew of Thomas Jefferson.
In 2009 a historical marker commemorating the community was erected. It is now part of Farmville, Virginia.
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