Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro Slavery

Book Description

This book, originally published in 1974 by Little, Brown and Company, is a sweeping reexamination of the economic foundations of American Negro slavery. Based upon a vast research effort, this volume constitutes an entirely new portrayal of slavery's past. It challenges traditional assumptions about the material condition and management of slaves, their work habits, domestic welfare, and the economy of the antebellum South in general.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating; sweeps away insidious prejudice.......2007-08-15

Fogel and Engerman's work turns to primary sources to figure out exactly what the economics of slavery in the American South were like. It turns out that the predominant views are wrong: slavery wasn't unprofitable, slaves were well-nourished and lived almost as long as free laborers, slave families were rarely split up, resistance to slave-owners was rare, and on and on. Farms worked by slaves were 1/3 more efficient that farms worked by free laborers, and slaves received on average more of that higher income than free laborers did. A small proportion of slaves worked as skilled workers in management, engineering, or various crafts. Some of these earned higher incomes than their free counterparts.

Since this is only a book on the economics of slavery (as the book's subtitle says), it cannot examine the psychological or ethical damage that slavery caused, as the authors acknowledge. They do acknowledge that while slaves received a higher proportion of the pecuniary income they produced as wages, food, clothing, housing, and medical care than free laborers did, they also acknowledge that the non-pecuniary costs of slavery to the slaves themselves was enormous. The higher productivity of slave-worked farms was made possible, obviously enough, by forcing the slaves to do what free laborers could not be paid to do: work longer hours in a more regulated, larger farm. Interestingly enough, the gain in productivity this resulted in, while conveyed in small part to the slaves themselves in the form of higher income, did not accrue entirely or even in the most part to the planters. Rather, about half of it accrued to the consumers of cotton. Since most of cotton was exported (primarily to Britain, where most of the cotton was made into clothing), the primary beneficiaries of American slavery were people who bought cotton goods. This is because producing and selling cotton was a competitive industry, where real profits tend toward zero. Thus, while the planters exploited the slaves in reality by whipping them and forcing them to work in ways free laborers would not, the resultant pecuniary exploitation of slaves was accomplished by capitalism.

But perhaps the most interesting thing the book discusses is how the myth of unproductive slaves has contributed to contemporary racism. According to the contemporary racist view, blacks are lazy, morally degenerate, and immature. Fogel and Engerman show that, under slavery, blacks were none of these things. In fact, the evidence shows that they were harder working and more sexually circumspect on average than their free white counterparts.

What the authors point out as a reason there were not more slave revolts is that, given the fact that both Northerners and Southerners were racists, free blacks had little economic, social, or political opportunity. Free blacks in the North were not permitted to do all kinds of things. It would seem that many blacks rationally decided they were better off as slaves. The slave artisans and engineers, however, who commanded the highest wages, were the ones best able to make a living in the economy of the free North and were therefore those most likely to escape.

The book's last chapter deals with the implications of the findings for contemporary race relations. The book shows, of course, that blacks are not biologically inferior to whites. And, in economic terms, blacks were worse off in 1890 than they were in 1860. This isn't because slavery is always economically better than being free, but because the U.S. abolished slavery without abolishing racism. Blacks remained second-class citizens without the power to better their lot economically or politically. At least under slavery their racist owners had an economic interest in their economic well-being. That is the one thing the book drives home in a thoroughly researched and completely convincing way.

Fascinating book to dispel the myths.......2007-03-10

Fascinating book! The comprehensive review of historical data will leave you wondering why so much of what you were taught and thought you knew about slavery was a myth. How could so much anecdotal evidence and political bias be mistaken for fact?

We all rate like we think..........2006-02-10

First, I will be forthright and say that I am an unreconstructed Southerner. If that makes my review prejudiced, so be it. But I would be willing to wager that all those reviewers who critisize this work and give it only 1 or 2 starrs, while glowingly giving indirect 5 star recommendations to Gutman's works, are just as prejudiced the other way. The fact of the matter is that 'we' rate like we think and no volume of material is going to sway our preconceived or 'brainwashed' notions.

I have read most of the Slave Narratives and I've make a lifelong (I'm 56) study of like in the Antebellum and post-war South, plus I can still remember life in rural Louisiana in the 50's as a small boy and have heard many stories from grandparents born before 1900. I have also read many many works (no longer in print) written right before and right after the war.

First, anyone who believes the Civil War was fought over slavery is just plain foolish and definitely has an agenda and will NEVER learn anything. With that said, and based on all I have read, I believe that the real truth lies somewhere almost in the middle of what 'Time on the Cross' proposes and what Gutman's contradictory writing show.

I believe that before ANY student or academician of this subject can even begin to form an opinion, they need to read the Slave Narratives to form a foundation. Afterall, these were real intereviews, real opinions, from the real people who lived through it. How can any modern author, through the tinted glasses of time, even hope to come close to evaluating this subject without reading these essential compilations? Whether they 'fit' into today's politically correct notions or not, they cannot be ignored (even though they have been suppressed for many years as if they never existed).

Slavery was a terrible thing that happened all over the world, and, I believe that had it not been for the assassination of Lincoln (who believed all blacks should be returned to Africa!), that race relations in this country would have been much different than they were up until 1970. I believe that race relations were hurt terribly by the reconstruction of the South.

Do I believe the United States would be better off today if it was an all-white society? Yes, I do. I believe this not because I don't believe two races can't co-exist (although this is naturally difficult), but because we have become so sensitive today and politically correct that not even Bill Cosby and address the real problems of the black community without being attacked, so how can I expect any better.

I heard tonight on TV that it is 'unknown' why the illigitimacy rate is so high among black teenagers. Well, duh! Simply put, what has happened in this country is that whites and blacks were mixed in the 60's and 70's in order to provide more opportunity to blacks and to raise their standards. Well, this would have been difficult enough to do in the first place since it defies the laws of nature and physics. But, when political correctness and 'race sensitivity' is added to the equation, there was only one outcome.

That outcome is a lowering of standards for blacks and whites alike - not only academically, but socially and morally as well. I know for a fact that in the first half of the 20th century, the moral level of blacks was much higher than it is overall today. Why?

I believe that an environment was created (probably on purpose) where instead of the lower elements (blacks) being elevated to higher levels of morality and academics and socio-economics by whites, that the reverse happened. The standards were pulled down and now today (as evidenced by our high schools) the overall levels of both blacks and whites are lower than either were before integration was even started. It will continue to go lower, I guess, until the US is at the bottom of the list in educational level compared to other countries. Will we ever learn? If we care about all our children, both black and white, are we to sacrifice them on the altar of 'race relations'? Are they to become 3rd rate when compared to countries like China, India, Russia, Japan, and most of Europe on educational levels? Probably so. But, the government and the race panderers will have what they want.

Still a Classic.......2005-07-13

One of the all-time classics in the genre of economic history, there have been very few more controversial books in the past half-century. There are still those today who call Fogel a racist or (as one other commentator did) an apologist for slavery. These people more than miss the point of this work. The profitability of slavery has nothing to do with the morality of it, as the authors point out. This is a survey and analysis of previously unresearched data. Fogel and Engerman take the first systematic look at data on slave movement, working conditions, life expectancy, and the economies of scale in both free labor and slave labor in the South.

Fogel and Engerman attack the thesis that slavery was impeding the economic progress of the South and would ultimately collapse under its own inefficiencies. Instead, they show investment in slaves was even more profitable than investments in free labor, and that owners had developed a wide system of incentives to induce quality labor from their slaves. Some claim that this means that Fogel and Engerman support slavery or that somehow this makes slavery palateable; to the contrary, their conclusion lends weight to the idea that only a Civil War would be able to end the evil practice, contrary to the hopes of many abolitionists who claimed slavery would fall apart due to its inherent weaknesses.

This work was originally shunned, but the force of its evidence and arguments has led it to become the mainstream interpretation in economic discussions of the Civil War period. Fogel recieved the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1993 (not solely for this work of course) and his most famous book is still the standard for excellence in his field.

A Great Example of Bad History.......2002-10-17

Fogel and Engerman's "Time on the Cross" was used in one of my junior history classes. The professor had us read it, write a paper on it and then, after we handed in our papers, demolished the book in class. He assigned it entirely as an example of sloppy historical research and how something well written can be convincing even if its based on deeply flawed information.

Quite often Fogel and Engerman rely on a singal, somewhat questionable, example to support a sweeping generalization of the entire institution of slavery. Much of their work rests on a single source which they use time and time again to prop up a badly construted hypothesis. When this is coupled with a devotion to the idea of man as a rational economic actor you have something that is almost an apologia for the entire practice of slavery.

My suggestion is to read this book and read it well. Use a critical eye when they present information and pay attention to their sources. Use this book as a tool to help you discover the many avenues of failure in writing history. Do not, I beg of you, use it as a guide to the truth because there is precious little in here.

The Negro's Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union
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A fine book for someone studying the subject

A Mixed Bag - Effective, insightful and tedious

YES THIS BOOK IS A DELECTABLE TREAT!

Definitely a Must Read!!!

The Negro's Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union
James M. Mcpherson
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 140003390X
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Book Description

In this classic study, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson deftly narrates the experience of blacks--former slaves and soldiers, preachers, visionaries, doctors, intellectuals, and common people--during the Civil War. Drawing on contemporary journalism, speeches, books, and letters, he presents an eclectic chronicle of their fears and hopes as well as their essential contributions to their own freedom. Through the words of these extraordinary participants, both Northern and Southern, McPherson captures African-American responses to emancipation, the shifting attitudes toward Lincoln and the life of black soldiers in the Union army. Above all, we are allowed to witness the dreams of a disenfranchised people eager to embrace the rights and the equality offered to them, finally, as citizens.

Customer Reviews:

A fine book for someone studying the subject.......2007-08-13

I bought this book after watching "Glory" (yet again) and decided to get better informed on the subject of black soldiers in the Civil War. I found the book to be very well done and very well researched. It is all excerpts from interviews, newspaper stories, and speeches given around the time of the Civil War. It really did a good job of showing how the average black man before, during, and a little bit after the Civil War. It really did open my eyes to many injustices the black man suffered during those days and how they overcame them. That said, however, I did find the book did drag a bit in some sections and it wasn't truly what I had been looking for; the stories of black soldier battles and valor was not covered very much and when it was it jumped around a bit. Bottom line, if your looking for a book on the combat black soldiers faced and the battles they were involved in then pick another book, but if your looking for a great overall history of the entire time period concerning black soldiers then this is a good book for you.

A Mixed Bag - Effective, insightful and tedious.......2004-05-15

Synopsis

James McPherson has compiled a fantastic amount of source material concerning how Blacks felt and acted during the Civil War. In the forward McPherson notes that there is "a need for a documentary collection that will present all aspects of the Negro's role in the war largely in the Negro's own words...this book is designed to fill that need." McPherson strings together quote after quote from Black newspapers, letters and speeches with relatively sparse commentary in between.

The book addresses 22 topics - from pre-war commentary on Abraham Lincoln to postwar lamentations about the failure of Reconstruction.

My Review

Unfortunately, the very strength of this book (all of the quotes) made it, at times, a tedious read for me. I found the style of the book to be a chore to read. I'll keep this book in my personal collection of Civil War material because as a collection of source material it is unmatched and I may have need to utilize it when it comes time to get my master's degree. As a history of the Civil War it is effective, informative but ultimately a chore to read.

YES THIS BOOK IS A DELECTABLE TREAT!.......2004-01-03

this book is a delectible treat, and yes i spelled it 2 different ways. A certain DR does not know good literature when it hits him in the face, but this is a greatness piece. The only problem is they shouldnt use the word "nigger" so much, that is naughty, they should use African American or mud baby. AMAZING BOOK infinity stars, including Orion's belt and the sun!!

Definitely a Must Read!!!.......2001-02-19

James McPherson successfully recounts the Negro's feelings and actions during and somewhat after the Civil War. The author uses a compilation of letters written by actual heroes of this revolutionary period to tell a story that is heard by few. Educators often share the many distinct battles and strategies both sides engaged in and created during the war. However, students seldom learn the grand history of the war that could only be learned by giving a broader sense of the account- a feat only accomplished when one studies those who were most affected by the war. Mr McPherson's usage of speeches and actual letters allow the reader to transcend time with the upper hand of hindsight having 20/20 vision! The interjections that McPherson interpolates into the scheme keep the flow of the different works so well tied at times it appears as though the authors worked together on the event. The final essay is more than fitting to end the book as it redefines the Negro's necessity to strive for and never forget the pursuit of freedom and equality. There were instances when it seemed each individual had a secret knowledge that decades later others would read his/her words and learn positive things from the experience. I respect James McPherson for having the courage to write without prejudice but maintain and provide factual evidence that the African-American was not simply rescued but by the blood, sweat and tears of thousands of his brothers and sisters aided in liberating himself. The author gives a refreshing look at the "colored" man as he verifies that he is a citizen by right as well as an important part of the history of the United States whose story should not be neglected by any.

The Education Of The Negro Prior To 1861: A History Of The Education Of The Colored People Of The United States From The Beginning Of Slavery To The Civil War (Kessinger Publishing's Rare Reprints)

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The Education Of The Negro Prior To 1861: A History Of The Education Of The Colored People Of The United States From The Beginning Of Slavery To The Civil War (Kessinger Publishing's Rare Reprints)
Carter G. Woodson
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Deep Like the Rivers
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ASIN: 1419160648

"Negro President": Jefferson and the Slave Power

Average customer rating:

Misleading title - too much about Pickering's personality
Book isn't really about Jefferson
Not for novices
Jefferson as he really was, Wills as he is.
Very Informative but Scattered!

"Negro President": Jefferson and the Slave Power
Garry Wills
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0618485376

Amazon.com

Garry Wills' "Negro President": Jefferson and the Slave Power, despite its title, is not a profile of the Jefferson Presidency. Rather, the book offers a richly detailed study of the United States' tragic constitutional bargain with slavery, and meanders through the lives of several key figures in antebellum American history along the way.

While Thomas Jefferson does play a significant role in Wills' book, the real heroes are the relatively unknown abolitionist Timothy Pickering and, to a lesser degree, John Quincy Adams. Pickering offered a consistent voice of opposition to Jefferson's often secret campaign against Federalist power. Though he could never match Jefferson's charismatic persona, Pickering succeeded in his battle to undo Jefferson's embargo of England--an embargo that Pickering recognized as Jefferson's attempt to undermine the economic prosperity and power of the North. Pickering's ill-fated attempt to secede from the Union, while misguided, would fuel the latter-day abolitionist John Quincy Adams to threaten a similar revolution as the Civil War loomed.

Ultimately, "Negro President" is a book that recovers slavery as a context for understanding early American political life. At times Willis focuses too much on Jefferson, Pickering, or Adams, and the discussion is derailed by his fascination for the moral successes and failures of each personality. Nevertheless, the book addresses a long-neglected subject in American studies and will prove invaluable to readers interested in understanding America's early struggle to balance Northern versus slave-state power. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

In 1800 Thomas Jefferson won the presidential election with Electoral College votes derived from the three-fths representation of slaves slaves who could not vote but were still partially counted as citizens. Moving beyond the recent revisionist debate over Jefferson's own slaves and his relationship with Sally Hemings, Garry Wills instead probes the heart of Jefferson's presidency and political life, revealing how the might of the slave states remained a concern behind his most important policies and decisions. Jefferson's foil was Thomas Pickering, who along with the Federalists fought the president and the institutions that supported him. In an eye-opening, ingeniously argued expos, Wills restores Pickering and his allies" dramatic struggle to our understanding of Jefferson, the creation of the new nation, and the evolution of our representative democracy.

Customer Reviews:

Misleading title - too much about Pickering's personality .......2007-09-23

With Jefferson on the cover and a provocative title like "Negro President" you'd think the book would be all about Jefferson.........but instead, it's mostly about Timothy Pickering's fight with pro-slavery forces during his time in Congress. Not an unimportant topic by a long shot, but I was expecting Wills to tease out the complexities of Jefferson's mind on the subject of slavery.

Book isn't really about Jefferson.......2007-03-09

This book suffers from the common Wills characteristic of rambling. You'll learn about Tim Pickering, Aaron Burr, J.Q. Adams, but I thought the book was about Jefferson. Most of the book isn't about Jefferson at all, except the concluding paragraph of some chapters that try to address the central thesis. There's nothing new about Jefferson in this book. Someone could write a great book about Jefferson's blatant hypocrisy on slavery. Wills certainly didn't do it with this big disappointment.

Not for novices.......2006-03-16

I was required to read this book for a graduate history class and came away enlightened. In response to those who say the book is not about Jefferson, it is. Pickering and Adams are used as lenses through which Wills examines Jefferson (I have read other books like this). This style of writing may be over-the-head of novice readers not accustomed to reading material that is geared towards professional historians.

This book is intended to make the reader reconsider what they think about Jefferson and what they have been taught about the early republic. Wills shows Jefferson as a mere man and not the giant that celebratory (and earlier) literature would have him be. This may be disconcerting to readers that have been taught that the founding fathers were the paragon of society and humanity.

In response to reviewers claiming that Wills misses this or that, you are right, but miss the point. Wills did not intend to discuss every aspect of Jefferson's political career. He was interested in examining Jefferson's defense of slavery in-so-far as slavery gave Jefferson and other Southerners an advantage over Northern politicians.

You might not like what Wills has to say, but it is hard to argue with his argument.

Jefferson as he really was, Wills as he is........2006-03-03

This book strikes me as a fairly typical Wills effort. Take a gander at his oeuvre. Is there any public intellectual on the American scene at the moment that casts a wider net? Wills has written about Augustine, Chesterton, Reagan, John Wayne, Jefferson before (see his Inventing America- his study of Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence), Madison, Nixon (Nixon Agonistes contains one of the best explanation of American presidential politics that I have ever read), the role of religion in American politics, conservatism, and the American distrust of government to name just a few topics.. He writes like a prodigy- quickly, sometimes a little sloppily but based on a deep reading of Western culture. I have never read one of his books without copying down a passage or two into my commonplace book (a habit I took up long ago on reading Will's Inventing America). I have also not read any of his recent books without feeling that it was unfinished. He writes quickly and it shows. Some of his work is a little sloppy and needs development. Some of his arguments are brilliant and some are forced.
Consider this volume. Wills is trying to emphasize some of the ways the three-fifths clause of the original Constitution distorted the workings of antebellum politics.
The three-fifths clause was not about voting. In spite of some of the reviewers below, slave owners did not get three extra votes for every five slaves. It was about representation. Slaves were included in the population data that determined the number of representatives a state received in the House of Representatives. But they only counted as three people for every five slaves. So if a state contained 100,000 slaves, it would add a total of 60,000 onto the figure used to determine the number of representatives. In 1800, over 91 % of the blacks in America, free or slave, were in the southern states (this figure is from The South as a Conscious Minority by Jesse Carpenter, p.14). Obviously, the three/fifths clause worked to boost Southern representation. It had enough effect, according to Wills and many others, to provide the South with the decisive votes needed to elect Jefferson president, to pass the notorious gag rules of the 1830s, and to force through many of the so-called "compromises" that spread slavery throughout the Old Southwest.
I agree with Wills, William Freehling, Leonard L. Richards and the others who have been writing about this issue of late. But one weakness of Wills' presentation (as opposed to someone like Freehling in The Road to Disunion) is that Wills fails to bring out one very important point. Even with the three/fifths clause, the South was a minority in the House. The 1800 elections brought as large a proportion of Southerners to the House as they enjoyed in any time in our history. In 1800, the South had 65 Representatives to 77 for the Northern States or 46% of the total (Carpenter, p. 22). Even with the completely unfair boost of the three-fifths clause they still needed northern allies. There were always Northerners or Westerners who had to vote along with the South on ALL the issues that Wills mention. This is perhaps the saddest part of the story of all. The Southern Representatives acted with great unity throughout this period and either found collaborators or were able to bully other Representatives to go along with them. My point is simply that the Slave Power was not just a Southern phenomenon. It was an American phenomenon. Wills does get at this sometimes. I cannot find the quote now but at some point in the book he does mention how many national politicians were willing to compromise with the South in order to further their careers. Even one of the heroes of his tale, J. Q. Adams was guilty of this early in his career.
If you really want to explore thoroughly the Slave Power in early American history then I suggest Freehling's book over this one.
That does not mean that you shouldn't read Wills. He clarifies some of the confusion I have always felt about Jefferson as a politician. In many ways, Jefferson was a modern politician. He knew how to work others to his ends while staying behind the curtain (this may be the only way we can compare Dick Cheney to Thomas Jefferson). Jefferson was also so sure that he was right that to oppose him was treasonous. He was in many ways a not very likable man. None of which diminishes his greatness except for those who can admire only saints. Personally, I find that if you allow yourself to provisionally admire sinners that there are a lot more people to admire.
Wills also shows us Burr in a very different light and makes it clear that in regards to Burr (e.g., Burr's behavior during the 1800 election), that history really has been written by the victors. And while the other reviewers express appreciation for Wills' bringing back Timothy Pickering into history's good graces, I appreciate the way that he tells us the story of J.Q. Adams' struggles against the Slave Power in the House during the 1830s. This is one of the best stories in American history and deserves to be told again and again.
So, yes, read Wills by all means. He may not be a detail guy but he will give you many great insights and will point in the direction of others like Freehling who are great detail guys. Along the way, you get to spend some time with one of the most interesting thinkers currently writing on the American scene.

Very Informative but Scattered!.......2005-12-20

When one delves deeply into history, there is always a chance that what one finds does not measure up to - or even counters - one's initial perception of a subject. After reading "Negro President," my image of Thomas Jefferson has been tainted, perhaps irrevocably. I am not sure how I feel about this at the moment, although it seems to me that truth should be more important than perception. So, based on the credentials of the author, I am prepared to assume that truth has been recorded in these pages, and that Thomas Jefferson was not just the brilliant gentleman-philosopher that I had been brought up to believe. He was also a ruthless player of realpolitik, obsessed with maintaining his power to the extent of hypocrisy, if need be. Wills must have also felt a slight shudder when writing this book. He at least felt that he must explain himself in a prologue that becomes a disclaimer of intention: "I have admired Jefferson all my life, and still do - though some may question that statement after reading this book," he writes (Wills xii). He goes on to explain that this work's purpose is to contribute to the ongoing effort to discover the effects of slavery in early American history. Wills chose an interesting way to portray Jefferson in this work, one that is quite effective for his thesis. In displaying the imbalance in the Electoral College created by the Three-fifths Compromise, ("It gave the South a permanent head-start for all its political activities" [4].), Wills uses Federalist Timothy Pickering to do his dirty work for him, as if the job of indicting Jefferson is too distasteful for him. What we are left with, then, is a near-polemic against Jefferson, told from the point-of-view of his ideological enemy rather than by a historian with a grudge (or worse, by a historian strangled by blind devotion). This is brilliant on Wills' part, but it does leave the reader a little dazed. One expects to be treated to a healthy dose of Jefferson in the work. After all, the title and cover-art lead one to this expectation. But what one finds after reading the work is that the attempt to redeem the image of Pickering - who, according to Wills, "has been no favorite of American historians"(18) - is more memorable than the author's portrayal of Jefferson and the slave power. That being said, the work succeeds because it does both of these things well. The redemption of Pickering becomes a bonus, a perfect counter-symbol to Jefferson.

This work does meander, and periodically, one is left wondering how the current episode relates to the obvious thesis recorded above. For example, Wills' treatment of Pickering, Aaron Burr, and J. Q. Adams is so deep and thorough that it is easy to forget who the book is suppose to be about. It's almost as if Wills is creating a memorial to the men who may have earned a "Jeffersonian" legacy in their own right if not squelched by Jefferson and/or the beanstalk to power that was the federal ratio. Whether or not this was the author's conscious intention, I think that it can at least be argued that this was the direction that Wills' approach led him. In either instance, the author's sagacity is to be praised.

What I am left with, at this point, is a greater understanding of how the people and events of the first seventy or so years of United States history were filtered through the issue of slavery, more than any other issue. Wills nails this point home with precision. As mentioned before, my opinion of Jefferson is tainted, now; I feel anxious, however, to combat this by balancing the digestion of this work with a good old-fashioned Jefferson hagiography. Jefferson's legacy is too important to have such an imbalance in my own mind. I come back again to how Wills must have felt after writing this work, and I can truly relate. Wills' focus for this work was but a small portion of the man, a refreshingly deplorable chapter in the life of a real human being.

If it is true that politics is power, nothing more, then it is also true that politics in the Old South was slave power, nothing more. I would love to ask Thucydides, Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes what they think about Thomas Jefferson.

Lincoln and the Negro (Da Capo Paperback)

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Lincoln and the Negro (Da Capo Paperback)
Benjamin Quarles
Manufacturer: Da Capo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Negro in the Civil War (A Da Capo paperback)
The Negro in the American Revolution (Chapel Hill Books)

ASIN: 0306804476

Negro In American Rebellion: His Heroism & His Fidelity

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Negro In American Rebellion: His Heroism & His Fidelity
William Wells Brown
Manufacturer: Ohio University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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William Johnson's Natchez: The Ante-Bellum Diary of a Free Negro

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William Johnson's Natchez: The Ante-Bellum Diary of a Free Negro

William Johnson's Natchez: The Ante-Bellum Diary of a Free Negro
William Johnson , William Ransom Hogan , and Edwin Adams Davis
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Barber of Natchez
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ASIN: 0807118559

Customer Reviews:

William Johnson's Natchez: The Ante-Bellum Diary of a Free Negro.......2005-10-15

My stepfather asked me to purchase this book for him since he did not have a computer. He read the first 400 pages within 3 days. He called me to tell me that he totally enjoyed this book and he asked me to order the book for another person(he raved so much to this person about the book). He's leaving the book to the family (once he passes on) to let each
member to read and learn about Afro American History.

28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History

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Required Reading The Full Year 'Round
Say it loud...
28 Of The Best Days Of My Life . . .
I could not put this book down.
Rhyming into the Past

28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History
Latorial Faison
Manufacturer: Cross Keys Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback

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The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes

ASIN: 1598727737
Release Date: 2007-02-07

Product Description

28 Days of Poetry is an eclectic collection of poems celebrating the history and legacy of African-Americans. The book reflects on slavery, the civil rights movement and paints poetic pictures of the south during a time when America was a divided nation. Young readers will enjoy biographical poems that tell the history of black inventors and other civil rights leaders in history.

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Required Reading The Full Year 'Round.......2007-08-12

We all know the familiar names: Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, all readily recognizable for the high profiles of their lives, as well as their contributions to the rich legacy of African-American culture. But, who can really say they know much about Charles Drew or Ossie Davis? Or just how much the Buffalo Soldiers really accomplished during their years of service?

28 Days Of Poetry is an impressive mosaic of the kaleidoscopic African-American experience. In it, Latorial Faison has breathed new life into the usual retellings of Black history that have often been reduced to quaint clichés and trite sound bites. The breadth and depth of her compositions are so comprehensive that 28 Days can - and probably should - replace most of the textbooks and other outdated materials currently serving as ersatz representations of the American Black experience.

The broad-based appeal of 28 Days will certainly endear it to individuals from all walks of life, but the focus of most of Faison's offerings is clearly on the young. She repeatedly implores the leaders of tomorrow not only to remember the struggles of their forebears that forged the freedoms they currently enjoy, but also to continue the fight to preserve those freedoms for posterity's sake. Witness the second half of the poem "B.L.A.C.K. H.I.S.T.O.R.Y.":

"Hope ran through their veins
In search of rights and freedom trains
Sons and daughters still dying a million deaths
Trying to be free of the chains
Others pressed their way across the
Racial divide of prejudice and hate
Yesterday"

And this moving section of "Slave Questions":

"Why use the whip
And change my name,
Tell all the world
That I've been tamed?

Why teach me words
And give me things
But give me not
What freedom brings?"

Passages such as these should strike today's youth with the same conscientious impact that Alex Haley's ROOTS had on a generation of young viewers in the `70s.

Faison's opus is not just a treatise on cries in the night and cracks of the whip, though. She provides refreshing insight on the lesser known names of some our culture's greatest contributors, such as Phillis Wheatley and Charles Drew. Even the unsung inventor Benjamin Banneker gets the star treatment in "Who Was Benjamin Banneker?":

"If you visit the nation's capital
Or hold a watch in your hand
Think of Benjamin Banneker
Another great African American"

Such tributes serve as reassuring reminders of the towering giants on whose shoulders we stand.

But make no mistake: just as easily as Faison seeks to soothe, she also seeks to stir. Many of her pieces are brashly unapologetic, like this passage from "After Katrina":

"Horrific, embarrassing,
A travesty it is...
When a government waits
To aid its own citizens.

And where was America's
'Great White Hope'
Securing the Middle East
From dictatorship's scope"

Or this one from "Irreconcilable Differences":

With their played out and pimped out politics
Washington is filled with a sad lot of lunatics
So I speak to and preach to my fellowmen
About the need to politically be "born again"

Polemic stances such as these, of course, won't surprise anyone familiar with Faison's other works - namely her contributions to the anti-war (Iraq) movement, "Poets Against The War." In fact, many of the pieces in 28 Days can easily serve as revolutionary fodder in their own right. Consider this passage from "A Slave's Revolt," detailing Nat Turner's insurrection of 1831:

"they bled a dark people of life running through
their veins, mocked them with husbands, wives, and
mulatto baby cries until it was, to no surprise,
a justified rebellion, a righteous revolt, a song
of silent amen's."

At its heart, 28 Days Of Poetry bravely continues the ongoing task of reminding us all that African-American history and American history are one and the same, conveyed most effectively in these lines taken from the opening poem, "Celebrate":

"Acknowledge Black history on any day.
Allow freedom to ring in the noblest way."

While she may only have intended for it to be celebrated during Black History Month, Faison's collection is a treasure that MUST be hailed every day of the year.

Say it loud..........2007-07-30

28 DAYS OF POETRY CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY, reminds me of a Reader's Digest version of a stirring novel. It houses an eclectic collection of poems celebrating the legacy of gifted, charismatic, African-Americans. With added accounts of slavery and the civil rights movement, Ms. Faison paints vivid pictures of the south during a time when America was split in half. Readers will be able to lose themselves in biographical poems that highlight Black inventors, innovators, and leaders. The poems are varied in how they inspire; 'B.L.A.C.K. H.I.S.T.O.R.Y.' fills the heart, 'S.L.A.V.E. Q.U.A.R.T.E.R.S. fuels the mind, while 'Buffalo Soldiers' gives a prideful account of some of the first men of color to fight for America's freedom.

Ms. Faison uses the short biographies to capture the attention of young readers. From noted celebrities of yester-year: Benjamin Banneker, Charles Drew, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, and Phyllis Wheatley to more current names: Dr. M.L. King and Rosa Parks, readers are given a treat. This is an empowering collection that adds value to the endurance and stamina of a people who have transcended and continue to rise.

Kudos to Ms. Faison for such inspiring poems that give honor to whom honor is due. Persons desiring a succinct accountability of African-American history will regret not having a copy.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

28 Of The Best Days Of My Life . . . .......2007-04-30

Hi Reader! I wrote 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History because our children need to know so much about the past in order to move forward into the future. This book not only teaches children about the lives of Frederick Douglass, Phillis Wheatley, Dr. Charles Drew, Benjamin Banneker or Buffalo Soldiers, but it also allows seasoned readers and Black historians to reflect on the lives of Black people in America in "Reflections Eternal," "After Katrina," "Fredom Without Revelation," and "The Sounds of Blackness."

This book also includes poems paying tribute to the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. Rosa Parks, and Mr. Ossie Davis. In addition, this book displays the best of Black life, and it will encourage children and adults to press on. "We Shall Because We Must." This book brings to life reflections on Black history from the Middle Passage through the Civil Rights Movementand brings us all into the present.

I hope that you will get a copy of this book for your collection. Better yet, pick up a few copies for the young readers in your life no matter what the age, race, ethnicity, or gender. We all need to learn, appreciate, understand, and embrace the history of America. Purchase this book because it's motivating, educating, and liberating! Thanks for reading 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating "Our" History. Be on the lookout for Volume II in 2008.

I could not put this book down........2007-04-29

I too am an author who likes to write poetry about Black History and I could not put this book down. It even taught me a few things. This book should be distributed amoungst schools, especially during Black History Month (February) and Poetry Month (April).

As you read each poem, you can feel Faison's pride as an African American come through. In this book, she cover's topics like Hurricane Katrina, and The Million Man March. She also teaches us about the accomplishments and achievements of people like Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, and Charles Richard Drew just to name a few. If you don't know who these people are, I suggest you pick up a copy of "28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History", and prepare to be enlightened.

My favorite poems were, "Slave Questions", "Buffalo Soldiers", "Riding the Bus with Rosa Parks" and "I Thought I Was Free". Here are a couple of stanzas from my favorite of all, "Reflections Eternal".

"We built our hope on nothing less
Than God-given rights and His justice
Now we can stand proud and free
As we vividly reflect on our history

We've come so far, yet the road is long
As the struggle continues, we must stay strong
For each reflection etched in our minds
Is hope and power to survive these times"

Rhyming into the Past.......2007-04-18

Many times we try to find a way to remember important things that happened in the past; what better way than in verse? Latorial Faison's 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History, helps to remind us of the important people that contributed to the African American history.

Each verse carried a piece of history, whether it was centuries ago, or a few years ago. Can you say that you know about Fatou, Benjamin Banneker, or Fredrick Douglass? After you read Faison, you can say that you do. The great thing about this selection of poetry is that it can be equally appreciated by children of all ages.

Faison's 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History will give families something to enjoy together. I recommend this to anyone that really has a passion for poetry, and to parents that want to expose their children to new things and the people of African American history and poetry.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

The Negro in the Civil War (A Da Capo paperback)

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Pure Racist Bias
A Study of the African-American Civil War Experience

The Negro in the Civil War (A Da Capo paperback)
Benjamin Quarles
Manufacturer: Da Capo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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The Negro's Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union
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Freedom's Soldiers: The Black Military Experience in the Civil War

ASIN: 030680350X

Customer Reviews:

Pure Racist Bias.......2005-10-11

In his effort to achieve political correctness, Quarles coveniently leaves out the 60,000 black soldiers who fought proudly and bravely for their country - The Confederate States of America. Even though the "purge" of photos and records of black Confederates from 1890 to 1930 was extensive, many records, photos, and stories passed down still survive. If the reader doubts this, there are several books that tell the well documented truth available, including "Black Confederates" by Barrow, Segars, and Rosenburg.

A Study of the African-American Civil War Experience.......2004-01-01

Benjamin Quarles's "The Negro in the Civil War" first appeared in 1953, before the Supreme Court's watershed decision in Brown v. Board of Education. At the time the book was written, little public attention was given to the role of African-Americans in the Civil War. This situation changed dramatically only with the movie "Glory" which brought the charge of African-American troops on Fort Wagner, South Carolina in July, 1863 (days after the Battle of Gettysburg and the fall of Vicksburg) into public consciousness.

In some respects, including its terminology and writing style, Quarles's book shows its age. But the book remains an excellent introduction to the many ways in which African-Americans participated in the Civil War. In its understanding of the causes and results of the War, the book still has a great deal to teach the reader today.

In the eloquent "Foreward" to the book, Quarles describes the Civil War as an immediate consequence of the institution of slavery. This is an important insight, and it was not the most commonly accepted view of the Civil War in 1953. (It is still debated today.) Quarles also takes a very positive view of the United States and of the ability of the American people to realize and reshape the ideals that were partially expressed in our country's founding documents and to work to realize the liberty of all people within our nation. He views the Civil War struggle and the role of African-Americans within it as imbued with patriotism and idealism. He takes a hopeful view of the ability of our country to move forward and implement its ideals. Quarles thus explains eloquently how the Civil War remains highly important in understanding the United States and where it is going.

The book covers the military, political, and social history of African-Americans in the Civil War. By the end of the War, African-Americans comprised approximately 8% of the Union Army. Quarles describes the role of African-American soldiers in the Battles of Fort Wagner, mentioned above, Petersburg, Wilson's Landing, Nashville, and Milliken's Bend. (He is very short with Fort Pillow and the massacre of African-American soldiers by troops of Nathan Bedford Forrest). The book covers the recruitment of the African-American troops, their enthusiasm and commitment, and makes clear the great role they played in the War effort.

The book includes an excellent study of the President Lincoln's actions culminating in the Emancipation Proclamation in making the end of slavery an express goal of the War. He also describes how, in 1863, the conduct of the War changed from a relatively limited conflict aimed at supressing the succession effort to a total war with the goal of changing the fabric of American society. There is considerable emphasis on General Sherman and his destructive march though Georgia and South Carolina.

There is fascinating material in the book about African-American schools before and during the Civil War era. Quarles describes well how African-Americans in both the North and the South were eager to learn and to study to make their way as free people within the United States. There is good discussion too of African-American societies and organizations and political leaders in the United States during the War years. Much of this information may still be relatively unfamiliar to many readers.

Commendably, Quarles describes as well the efforts many African-Americans made in the South in support of the Confederate war effort. This effort may be slighted in modern studies. While many slaves crossed the lines and escaped from slavery as the Union armies advanced, others remained loyal to the South. Both free African-Americans and those held as slaves contributed money and services to the South's war effort. Just weeks before the end of the War, the South decided to accept African-American soldiers in its armies and offered manumission to those who would participate in the war effort. Of course, by the time it reached this decision, it made little difference to the outcome of the war.

This book remains a basic source for those wishing to understand the African-American Civil War experience and African-American history.

The Negro's Civil War;: How American Negroes felt and acted during the war for the Union
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The Negro's Civil War;: How American Negroes felt and acted during the war for the Union
James M McPherson
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0007DQ2ZC

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