Fathers of Conscience - Mixed-race Inheritance in the Antebellum South (Hardcover)

This book offers a new look at the legal and cultural implications of bequests that crossed the color line. ""Fathers of Conscience"" examines high-court decisions in the antebellum South that involved wills in which white male planters bequeathed property, freedom, or both to women of color and their mixed-race children. These men, whose wills were contested by their white relatives, had used trusts and estates law to give their slave partners and children official recognition and thus circumvent the law of slavery. The will contests that followed determined whether that elevated status would be approved or denied by courts of law.Bernie D. Jones argues that these will contests indicated a struggle within the elite over race, gender, and class issues - over questions of social mores and who was truly family. Judges thus acted as umpires after a man's death, deciding whether to permit his attempts to provide for his slave partner and family. Her analysis of these differing judicial opinions on inheritance rights for slave partners makes an important contribution to the literature on the law of slavery in the United States.

General

Imprint:	University of Georgia Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Studies in the Legal History of the South
Release date:	February 2009
First published:	February 2009
Authors:	Bernie D. Jones
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 23mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	192
ISBN-13:	978-0-8203-2980-2
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Black studies Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political control & freedoms > Slavery & emancipation Books > Law > Laws of other jurisdictions & general law > Private, property, family law > Personal property law > Wills & probate Books > History > American history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Promotions
LSN:	0-8203-2980-0
Barcode:	9780820329802

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