Hendrik Hartog Livres

The book delves into a pivotal 1840 case in New Jersey to examine the complexities of gradual emancipation in the early nineteenth century. By analyzing Minna's situation, where white individuals debated the financial responsibility for her care, Hartog highlights how language surrounding care evolved into a common theme in legal discussions. The narrative uncovers the contradictions within the legal status of slavery, illustrating a landscape where enslaved individuals could be considered both legally bound and free, reflecting the nuanced realities of that era.

"Hendrik Hartog's lively investigation of the legal histories of Progressive reform, childhood, criminality, repression, and free speech revolves around the mysterious Jack Robbins, an iconoclastic social reformer dedicated to the ideals of virtuous boyhood. In early twentieth-century Chicago, Robbins's Boys' Brotherhood Republic sought to keep boys out of the clutches of both vice and the nascent carceral state. The curiosity of Robbins's story is compounded by the racially and politically charged legal case that arose from his will, which established the extent to which last wishes must conform with dominant social values. Hartog crafts a twisty and engaging book full of surprising connections and persistent mysteries"--