American Slavery

Fülszöveg

'Although Americans like to think the United States was 'conceived in liberty",' writes Peter Kolchin, 'the reality is somewhat different ...' The crucial 'differencc', of course, was slavery. Here he examines its roots in the colonial era, earlv racial attitudes, the new Revolutionary commitmcnt ro 'righrs' and 'liberty', and the implicit boost given to slavery by a cautiously wordcd Constitution. Later chapters tnrn to the ideologies and social structures of the old South, the nature of slave culture and communities, ancl finally the road to Abolition. Professor Kolchin brilliantly knits together research in all these areas to provide a lucid, vivid and humane overview that is íully alive to the complexities of the evidence. A miraculous achievement ... Kolchin's exploration of the slave experience displays a subdety missing from earlier accounts. No history book published this year is more important to understanding America's past and present than this concisc, well-written, and... Tovább

Fülszöveg

'Although Americans like to think the United States was 'conceived in liberty",' writes Peter Kolchin, 'the reality is somewhat different ...' The crucial 'differencc', of course, was slavery. Here he examines its roots in the colonial era, earlv racial attitudes, the new Revolutionary commitmcnt ro 'righrs' and 'liberty', and the implicit boost given to slavery by a cautiously wordcd Constitution. Later chapters tnrn to the ideologies and social structures of the old South, the nature of slave culture and communities, ancl finally the road to Abolition. Professor Kolchin brilliantly knits together research in all these areas to provide a lucid, vivid and humane overview that is íully alive to the complexities of the evidence. A miraculous achievement ... Kolchin's exploration of the slave experience displays a subdety missing from earlier accounts. No history book published this year is more important to understanding America's past and present than this concisc, well-written, and sensibly argued survey of America's greatest shame' - New Yorker The best history of the "peculiar insrirntion" that I have ever read' Dávid Herbert Donald, Professor of American History at Harvard University An informed, modern history of slavery and its development [which] suggests thoughtful, even-handed conclusions on issues that have not been resolved definitively' - The New York Times Book Review It is ... almost impossible to overemphasize the breadth and depth of his accomplishment. For the lay reader as for the histórián, American Slavery is nothing less than essential' Washington Post Vissza