Ira Berlin (1941–2018)

Probably the best single volume survey of the history of slavery and the living conditions of enslaved Africans in the boundaries of the continental United States. Berlin is a longtime expert and researcher in the field and clearly has a strong grasp of the ever-expanding secondary literature. The book is divided into five chapters emphasizing the changing condition of slavery over time. He begins with the introduction of slavery and slaves in the early colonies and their ties to the wider show more Atlantic community. Chapter Two charts the changing conditions of slavery with the coming of the tobacco and rice plantations. Chapter Three covers the effects of the Revolutionary Era including the slow process of gradual emancipation in the North. Chapter five examines the rise of the "Cotton Kingdom" and with it the internal slave trade. And finally he ends with the coming of freedom in the Civil War. Berlin is excellent in focusing on the ways in which slave resistance, both active and passive, shaped the institution and eventually helped to spur on its demise.

The book has the typical problems associated with surveys, in this case exacerbated by its relative brevity (It covers a longer period in fewer pages than his prior much-acclaimed survey "Many Thousands Gone"). Many important issue are given only passing attention and it is hard to know whether a new student of slavery could take in so many concepts without a bit more illustration. One omission of note is slavery in the Caribbean. Although outside the boundaries of the United States, the Caribbean islands were an integral (in fact, leading) part of the development of the slave system in the British Empire.

I also worry that Berlin follows the current trends in the literature in spending much of his time on slavery and slaves who fell outside the traditional plantation model. It is important to recognize that slavery was not a monolithic institution, but I think new students would profit from a greater emphasis on the conditions under which most slaves lived most of the time.

I would be interested to here the impressions of students who read this book for undergrad survey courses. show less

Based on a series of lectures, this compact book is an excellent history of the “demise” of slavery as an institution in the US. It knits together all aspects: slave rebellion and resistance, the black and the white abolitionist movements, and the governmental actions (or lack thereof) over a hundred years before the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. The author discusses the primal importance of the slaves’ own resistance and the how they claimed the American ideals of show more individual freedom for themselves.

Although it took me some time to get through this book, as I read it intermittently and slowly, I found it a fascinating study, full of new insights, a worthy read for anyone interested in the subject specifically or a more holistic American history.

Here is the synopsis from the publisher, and a a review in the NYTImes.

Honestly, I've never been comfortable giving star ratings to nonfiction.... show less

This book was produced to accompany the New York Historical Society exhibit Slavery in New York. In a series of chapters by respected scholars it tells the history of not only slavery and slaves, but African Americans in general, from the Dutch colonial days through the beginning of the 20th century. Although some reference is made to New York State, the clear focus is on New York City.

The book opens with three chronological chapters on slavery in Dutch New York, British New York and slavery show more in New York during the revolution. There are then five chapters that deal with different aspects of gradual emancipation and the rise of free black culture and society up to the Civil War. Then there is a chapter on New York's economic ties to the Southern slave economy, a chapter on African Americans in New York during the Civil War, and an epilogue briefly extending the story to the early 20th century.

In all, I thought the authors did a good job balancing scholarly and general interest, although I'm so far to the former that I might not be the best judge. One difficulty with a book that focuses exclusively one one group is that a more general trends may be obscured. I was quite interested in the sections on the rise of black political, cultural and social organizations. However, it is difficult to asses their significance and distinct characteristics without hearing about similar organizing among whites, and particularly white ethnic immigrant groups. But this is a small complain about a generally excellent book. show less

Berlin argues that southern states treated free blacks in the antebellum period as slaves without masters. In other words, there were a great many restrictions on free blacks. They did not have the same freedoms and rights as whites did. Berlin further argues that after the 13th amendment, southern states applied the same restrictions (black codes, vagrancy laws, curfews, etc.) to all blacks, which became the basis of the Jim Crow segregation system.