Black Slaveowners

<p> Drawing on the federal census wills mortgage bills of sale tax returns and newspaper advertisements this authoritative study describes the nature of African-American slaveholding its complexity and its rationales. It reveals how some African-American slave masters had earned their freedom and how some free Blacks purchased slaves for their own use. The book provides a fresh perspective on slavery in the antebellum South and underscores the importance of African Americans in the history of American slavery.</p><p> The book also paints a picture of the complex social dynamics between free and enslaved Blacks and between Black and white slaveowners. It illuminates the motivations behind African-American slaveholding--including attempts to create or maintain independence to accumulate wealth and to protect family members--and sheds light on the harsh realities of slavery for both Black masters and Black slaves.</p><p> </p><p> • BLACK SLAVEOWNERS--Shows how some African Americans became slave masters</p><p> • MOTIVATIONS FOR SLAVEHOLDING--Highlights the motivations behind African-American slaveholding</p><p> • SOCIAL DYNAMICS--Sheds light on the complex social dynamics between free and enslaved Blacks</p><p> • ANEBELLUM SOUTH--Provides a perspective on slavery in the antebellum South</p><p> </p>