James Polk was President of the United States from 1845 to 1849; a time when slavery began to dominate American politics. Polk's presidency coincided with the eruption of the territorial slavery issue; which within a few years would lead to the catastrophe of the Civil War. Polk himself owned substantial cotton plantations-- in Tennessee and later in Mississippi-- and some 50 slaves. Unlike many antebellum planters who portrayed their involvement with slavery as a historical burden bestowed onto them by their ancestors; Polk entered the slave business of his own volition; for reasons principally of financial self-interest. Drawing on previously unexplored records; Slavemaster President recreates the world of Polk's plantation and the personal histories of his slaves; in what is arguably the most careful and vivid account to date of how slavery functioned on a single cotton plantation. Life at the Polk estate was brutal and often short. Fewer than one in two slave children lived to the age of fifteen; a child mortality rate even higher than that on the average plantation. A steady stream of slaves temporarily fled the plantation throughout Polk's tenure as absentee slavemaster. Yet Polk was in some respects an enlightened owner; instituting an unusual incentive plan for his slaves and granting extensive privileges to his most favored slave. Startlingly; Dusinberre shows how Polk sought to hide from public knowledge the fact that; while he was president; he was secretly buying as many slaves as his plantation revenues permitted. Shortly before his sudden death from cholera; the president quietly drafted a new will; in which he expressed the hope that his slaves might be freed--but only after he and his wife were both dead. The very next day; he authorized the purchase; in strictest secrecy; of six more very young slaves. By contrast with Senator John C. Calhoun; President Polk has been seen as a moderate Southern Democratic leader. But Dusinberre suggests that the president's political stance toward slavery-- influenced as it was by his deep personal involvement in the plantation system-- may actually have helped precipitate the Civil War that Polk sought to avoid.
#11804 in Books Michael O Emerson 2001Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.10 x .50 x 7.70l; .37 #File Name: 0195147073224 pagesDivided by Faith Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Paving the Path to HellBy M ZinAn outstanding read. Smith and co. start with an exposition of the racialization of society. They then dissect how the seemingly good intentions of Evangelicals vis. race is not only self-limiting; but ultimately helps perpetuate the division of society along racial lines. Evangelicals strict focus on individual salvation at the expense of systemic reform relegates them; by definition; to a force opposed to meaningful change and true Christian reconciliation. This is not done in a polemical way; but rather demonstrated by survey data and interviews with people on both sides of the question. The title of this book could have been "The Paving of the Path to Hell".0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Highly RecommendedBy BThe author does an exceptional job navigating an extremely convoluted subject. Much has been written on the issues of God; Faith and Race in America; but this is a pivotal work. The book reads like a long academic paper; which is refreshing; the authors assertions are driven by historical facts and reliable research all presented through a Biblical World View. Highly recommended.5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in AmericaBy GabbartaEmerson; author of more the nine books and journals; teaches courses in race and ethnic relations; religion; urban sociology; poverty and justice; and research methods in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his colleague Smith who served as the Stuart Chapin Distinguished Professor of Sociology in the university and author of several books. Collaborate to write this book; which was named the 2001 Distinguished Book of the Year by the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.The authors conducted a national telephone survey of more than 2500 Americans; interviewed almost 200 evangelicals; and collected data from variety of different sources to base on their argument. Their main these is that America is a "racialized society" and religion; more specifically evangelical religion; without intention; makes the problem worse by focusing on strengthening the relationship that already exist in the same group. They state:Religion; as structured in America; is unable to make great impact on the racialized society. In fact; far from knocking down racial barriers; religion generally serves to maintain these historical divides; and helps to develop new ones....... The structure of religion in America is conductive to freeing groups from the direct control of the other groups but not addressing the fundamental division that exist in our current racialized society. (p. 18).At the individual level; the authors believe that the white evangelicals do not see that we have a racialized society; rather; they see racial problem only in individual cases and bad interpersonal relationships. By this the white evangelicals are minimizing the race problem; and thus they offer poor solutions that are profoundly individualistic and interpersonal and do not exceed their individualistic view. These solutions do not touch "the system;" because they do not include any financial or cultural sacrifices. "They maintain what is for them the noncostly status quo."At the organizational level; the authors believe that "the religious market" in America leads congregations to become focused on marketing themselves to "homogenous" congregations in order to survive as organizations in a competitive market; which generate internal growth and external division; leading to racially separate congregations. They argue that "internally homogeneous congregations more often provide what draws people to religious groups for a lower cost than do internally diverse congregations." In other word; the religious market principle leads the congregation to do what makes its "consumer" happy in order to stay; which consequently will cost the congregation to lose its power as a prophetic voice. Thus instead of providing "the moral force" to change what violate the moral standard of what evangelical believe in; the congregation; unintentionally; perpetuate the status quo.I would have liked the authors to tackle the psychological issue of the race problem in America. They spoke about confessing and healing from the white evangelical side; but what about blacks? Do not they also need healing? I believe that the black people's self-image; not to minimize the racialized culture of America; needed to be addressed. The impact of hundreds of years of slavery and segregation cannot be wiped out in five decades. It is going to be a journey in the desert until the whole old generation dies and a new generation that "have a dream" rise up. In my point of view; the race problem is two-way road. When both blacks and whites do their part; they will eventually end up sitting in one church; but this time in the same pews.Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
