Thoughtful; suggestive and highly readable.―New York Times Book Review In the American Revolution; Virginians were the most eloquent spokesmen for freedom and quality. George Washington led the Americans in battle against British oppression. Thomas Jefferson led them in declaring independence. Virginians drafted not only the Declaration but also the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; they were elected to the presidency of the United States under that Constitution for thirty-two of the first thirty-six years of its existence. They were all slaveholders. In the new preface Edmund S. Morgan writes: "Human relations among us still suffer from the former enslavement of a large portion of our predecessors. The freedom of the free; the growth of freedom experienced in the American Revolution depended more than we like to admit on the enslavement of more than 20 percent of us at that time. How republican freedom came to be supported; at least in large part; by its opposite; slavery; is the subject of this book. American Slavery; American Freedom is a study of the tragic contradiction at the core of America. Morgan finds the keys to this central paradox; "the marriage of slavery and freedom;" in the people and the politics of the state that was both the birthplace of the Revolution and the largest slaveholding state in the country.
#21155 in Books 2016-06-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x 1.80 x 6.20l; .0 #File Name: 039326596X1504 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good bookBy whitenoiseI bought this book for my introduction to history college class.The book came within a weeks time with literally no damage to it whatsoever. The book is pretty hefty but it organizes all the content in an easy to read way. It’s literally like reading a story book... for grown-ups of course.At the beginning of each chapter it gives you an overview to ease you into what’s gonna be covered in the chapter. The sections are nicely divided so it doesn’t feel like you’re reading a huge book; rather small snippets of stories/historical content. The book has bolded important words; historical dates; and people. Pretty much the whole shebang.At the end of each chapter is a concise chapter summary; a chronology (timeline) to help you see the events in the succession they took place in; a key words list; and other tidbits here and there. I found this super helpful to review my notes and make sure I got all the important information down.I haven’t used the online content at all.. mainly because I just haven’t had the time or curiosity to see what it has. But I’m assuming it’s pretty good too just like the book.All that aside; if you like history or you don’t; this isn’t a bad book to get. Yeah history can get dull at times but you just gotta keep going and pull through; in the end it’ll be worth it. Recommend!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. It was not nearly as boring as many texts I have readBy See MillerFor a text; it was written in a way that holds your attention. It was not nearly as boring as many texts I have read. I can say I enjoyed reading about history with this book! The chapters were quite long; however. As for the position of the author; I felt he kept his information pretty balanced. There were positives and negatives for most of the subjects in the book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. the binding is holding up pretty well; despite me constantly throwing the book in ...By AnthonyI use it in my American history class and unlike other books; this one does not put me to sleep during study sessions.s also; the binding is holding up pretty well; despite me constantly throwing the book in and out of my backpack.
