Hardback | |
February 22, 2018 | |
9781611178302 | |
English | |
176 | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
.8 Pounds (US) | |
$41.99 USD | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Electronic book text | |
February 22, 2018 | |
9781611178319 | |
9781611178302 | |
English | |
176 | |
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6.00 Inches (US) | |
$41.99 USD | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Claiming Freedom
Race, Kinship, and Land in Nineteenth-century Georgia
Bell begins by examining the meaning of freedom through the delineation of acts of self-emancipation prior to the Civil War. Consistent with the autonomy that they experienced as slaves, the emancipated African Americans from the rice region understood citizenship and rights in economic terms and sought them not simply as individuals for the sake of individualism, but as a community for the sake of a shared destiny. Bell also examines the role of women and gender issues, topics she believes are understudied but essential to understanding all facets of the emancipation experience. It is well established that women were intricately involved in rice production, a culture steeped in African traditions, but the influence that culture had on their autonomy within the community has yet to be determined.
A former archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration, Bell has wielded her expertise in correlating federal, state, and local records to expand the story of the all-black town of 1898 Burroughs, Georgia, into one that holds true for all the American South. By humanizing the African American experience, Bell demonstrates how men and women leveraged their community networks with resources that enabled them to purchase land and establish a social, political, and economic foundation in the rural and urban post-war era.
About the Author
Reviews
"This succinct study is an important addition to our understanding of lowcountry Georgia, where rice was king during the antebellum period and continued to influence the lives of postwar African Americans. Bell's insightful analysis of the importance of 'oppositional communities' in securing autonomy is a welcome new chapter in the freedom narrative."—Edna Greene Medford, Howard University
"A thorough examination of rich archival records and a thoughtful writing style make Claiming Freedom an important book. With a focus on nineteenth-century rice plantations of lowcountry Georgia, Karen Cook Bell examines enslaved African Americans who resisted oppression to realize freedom and justice. The book explores the risks and rewards of freedmen and freedwomen who sought self-reliance by using material, cultural, and ideological tools to forge their future."—Janice L. Sumler-Edmond, author of The Secret Trust of Aspasia Cruvellier Mirault: The Life and Trials of a Free Woman of Color in Antebellum Georgia
Hardback | |
February 22, 2018 | |
9781611178302 | |
English | |
176 | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
.8 Pounds (US) | |
$41.99 USD | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Electronic book text | |
February 22, 2018 | |
9781611178319 | |
9781611178302 | |
English | |
176 | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
$41.99 USD | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Other Titles in HISTORY / African American
The Silent Shore
The Assault on Elisha Green
The Black President