Williams' Gang explores a Washington, DC slave trader's legal misadventures associated with transporting convict slaves through New Orleans. Drawing on court records, newspapers, governors' files, slave narratives, and penitentiary data, Jeff Forret examines slave criminality, the coastwise domestic slave trade, and Southern jurisprudence.
Slaves and Poor Whites in the Antebellum Southern Countryside
The book explores the intricate dynamics between enslaved individuals and impoverished white communities, shedding light on their complex relationships. It delves into the historical context, revealing how these interactions influenced social structures and individual identities. Through thorough research and analysis, the author enhances our comprehension of this often-overlooked aspect of history, providing valuable insights into the societal implications of these connections.
Challenging the notion of harmonious slave communities, Jeff Forret's analysis reveals the prevalence of violence among enslaved individuals in the antebellum South. Drawing from extensive primary sources, the book examines the roots and motivations behind this violence, alongside the efforts of slaves, masters, and institutions to manage it. Additionally, it highlights the moral frameworks within enslaved communities, showcasing their attempts to prevent and address violent behavior. This groundbreaking work opens new avenues for understanding American slavery.
Slavery, Shipwrecks, and Reparations Before the Civil War
The book delves into the historical context of reparations in America, revealing that the earliest payments were made to slaveholders rather than to the formerly enslaved individuals. Through meticulous research, the author, a prizewinning historian, explores the implications of this ironic twist in the narrative of reparations, shedding light on the complexities and injustices that have shaped American history.
Focusing on the underexplored aspects of capitalism in the South, the book delves into the lives of unscrupulous figures such as peddlers, preachers, and war profiteers who shaped the regional economy. Through engaging narrative storytelling, it covers the nineteenth-century South, including the antebellum period, Civil War, and Reconstruction, while examining diverse geographic areas like the Chesapeake and Texas. The essays provide social histories that reveal how these dubious characters influenced the capitalist transformation of the South, offering fresh insights into its economic history.