Synopses & Reviews
"A long, sharply focused look at the life of African American river workers both during and after slavery."
-- Missouri Historical Review "A solid work of scholarship. . . . A well-illustrated and attractively produced volume."
-- Western Historical Quarterly "Offers trenchant insights into the stark conditions of everyday life along the Mississippi."
-- Louisiana History "Makes a welcome and significant contribution to the history of slavery and African Americans with this interesting and well-researched work."
-- Journal of the Early Republic "A valuable contribution to the ever-expanding literature on American slavery and freedom. . . . The book deserves a wide readership."
-- Civil War History "A terrific read. . . . This is social and economic history at its best."
-- Journal of American History "Buchanan's research is impeccable. . . . Unreservedly an important book--vital for students of the Mississippi and relevant far more widely."
-- Journal of American Studies "In this thoroughly researched and elegantly written book, Buchanan recreates the lives of the tens of thousands of African-Americans who labored on the Mississippi and its tributaries. . . . Thanks to [his] prodigious investigation and eloquent prose, the real-life Jims who peopled the river banks and towns have at long last had their stories told."
-- American Historical Review "Draws on a remarkable range of sources."
-- Arkansas Historical Quarterly "[Buchanan] highlights the paradoxical nature of the Mississippi and the mobility afforded river workers. . . . An important addition the literature on U.S. slavery."
-- Journal of African American Studies A vivid testimonial to the tensions and triumphs of African American life in the pan-Mississippi region.
W. Jeffrey Bolster, author of Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail This is a great read for steamboat buffs no less than students of African American history.
Joseph P. Reidy, Howard University Buchanan has woven a fascinating narrative of life, crime, culture, and work in the river industry.
Journal of Southern History This is social and economic history at its best.
Mark M. Smith, The Journal of American History
Review
A vivid testimonial to the tensions and triumphs of African American life in the pan-Mississippi region.
W. Jeffrey Bolster, author of Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail
Review
This is a great read for steamboat buffs no less than students of African American history.
Joseph P. Reidy, Howard University
Review
Buchanan has woven a fascinating narrative of life, crime, culture, and work in the river industry.
Journal of Southern History
Review
"A terrific read. . . . This is social and economic history at its best."
-- Journal of American History
Review
"Draws on a remarkable range of sources."
-- Arkansas Historical Quarterly
Review
"A solid work of scholarship. . . . A well-illustrated and attractively produced volume."
-- Western Historical Quarterly
Review
"A valuable contribution to the ever-expanding literature on American slavery and freedom. . . . The book deserves a wide readership."
-- Civil War History
Review
"Buchanan's research is impeccable. . . . Unreservedly an important book--vital for students of the Mississippi and relevant far more widely."
-- Journal of American Studies
Review
"Offers trenchant insights into the stark conditions of everyday life along the Mississippi."
-- Louisiana History
Synopsis
The untold story of the experiences of slaves and free blacks who lived and worked on and near the Mississippi River during the 19th century, this book sheds new light on the ways African Americans resisted slavery and developed a vibrant culture and economy. The creative efforts of black steamboat workers to link riverside communities in the North and South facilitated family connections, slave escapes, and the transfer of stolen goods.
Synopsis
All along the Mississippi--on country plantation landings, urban levees and quays, and the decks of steamboats--nineteenth-century African Americans worked and fought for their liberty amid the slave trade and the growth of the cotton South.
About the Author
Thomas C. Buchanan is assistant professor of history at the University of Adelaide.
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