Engaging and accessibly written; Strange New Land explores the history of slavery and the struggle for freedom before the United States became a nation. Beginning with the colonization of North America; Peter Wood documents the transformation of slavery from a brutal form of indentured servitude to a full-blown system of racial domination. Strange New Land focuses on how Africans survived this brutal process--and ultimately shaped the contours of American racial slavery through numerous means; including: - Mastering English and making it their own - Converting to Christianity and transforming the religion - Holding fast to Islam or combining their spiritual beliefs with the faith of their masters - Recalling skills and beliefs; dances and stories from the Old World; which provided a key element in their triumphant story of survival - Listening to talk of liberty and freedom; of the rights of man and embracing it as a fundamental right--even petitioning colonial administrators and insisting on that right.Against the troubling backdrop of American slavery; Strange New Land surveys black social and cultural life; superbly illustrating how such a diverse group of people from the shores of West and Central Africa became a community in North America.
#1773830 in Books Catherine Clinton 2001-12-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.10 x 1.00 x 9.00l; .95 #File Name: 0195148150304 pagesFanny Kemble s Civil Wars
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not as interesting as material could have beenBy ReaderI did not get a very clear picture of Fanny; the woman; or her role as an abolitionist. I think I would have preferred to read her diaries.0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Shows a bit of both sides of this woman.By WayneThe biography covers her life and includes journal entries. My take is she was from a privileged family; looked down on others; and with the exception of her offbeat personality for the era and her being against the evil of slavery it was marginally worth the time to finish the book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The life of an impressive nineteenth century womanBy Michael OppenheimBritish stage idol Fanny Kemble (1809-93) married a wealthy American slave-owner in 1834. Although the marriage turned out disastrously; it provided a bonanza for historians. No shrinking violet and a prolific writer; Fanny wrote profusely on slavery; America; and women's issues till her death.The Kembles were England's leading theatrical family. Sarah Siddons was her aunt; but Fanny became equally celebrated. Despite this; her family were chronically in debt; and the American tour was one of innumerable unsuccessful efforts to make money. Soon after arriving she fell in love with Pierce Butler; a Georgia plantation owner; who made her stop working after they married. She quickly regretted her decision; but there was little a woman could do in that era. When Butler moved to his plantation; Fanny encountered slavery first hand and did not like what she saw. She complained bitterly and protested the slaves' treatment. Worse; she outraged her husband and the neighbors by expressing her opinions in print and in the north. Perhaps her most impressive accomplishment was getting a divorce; a nearly impossible feat in the nineteenth century. It took fifteen years. Except for public readings she never acted again; but her personality and writing sustained her celebrity until the end of the century.Like many nineteenth century figures; Kemble seemed to spend half her day writing. She kept a journal; sent and received a torrent of letters; published a dozen books and scores of articles and essays. Catherine Clinton; Professor of History at Baruch College (The Plantation Mistress; 1982) has obviously read it all and transformed it into an entertaining account of one of the most colorful women of her time.
