Family or Freedom - People of Color in the Antebellum South (Hardcover)

In the antebellum South, the presence of free people of color was problematic to the white population. Not only were they possible assistants to enslaved people and potential members of the labor force; their very existence undermined popular justifications for slavery. It is no surprise that, by the end of the Civil War, nine Southern states had enacted legal provisions for the "voluntary" enslavement of free blacks. What is surprising to modern sensibilities and perplexing to scholars is that some individuals did petition to rescind their freedom. Family or Freedom investigates the incentives for free African Americans living in the antebellum South to sacrifice their liberty for a life in bondage. Author Emily West looks at the many factors influencing these dire decisions -- from desperate poverty to the threat of expulsion -- and demonstrates that the desire for family unity was the most important consideration for African Americans who submitted to voluntary enslavement. The first study of its kind to examine the phenomenon throughout the South, this meticulously researched volume offers the most thorough exploration of this complex issue to date.

General

Imprint:	The University Press of Kentucky
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	New Directions in Southern History
Release date:	October 2012
First published:	October 2012
Authors:	Emily West
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 27mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth over boards
Pages:	244
ISBN-13:	978-0-8131-3692-9
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Black studies Books > History > American history > General Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900
LSN:	0-8131-3692-X
Barcode:	9780813136929

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