Antebellum Slave Narratives: Cultural and Political Expressions of Africa (Studies in American Popular History and Culture)

Synopsis

Though America experienced an increase in a native-born population and an emerging African-American identity throughout the nineteenth century, African culture did not necessarily dissipate with each passing decade. Archer examines the slave narratives of four key members of the abolitionist movement—Frederick Douglass, William Wells Brown, Harriet Tubman and Harriet Jacobs—revealing how these highly visible proponents of the antislavery cause were able to creatively engage and at times overcome the cultural biases of their listening and reading audiences. When engaged in public sphere discourses, these individuals were not, as some scholars have suggested, inclined to accept unconditionally stereotypical constructions of their own identities. Rather they were quite skillful in negotiating between their affinity with antislavery Christianity and their own intimate involvement with slave circle dance and improvisational song, burial rites, conjuration, divination, folk medicinal practices, African dialects and African inspired festivals. The authors emerge as more complex figures than scholars have imagined. Their political views, though sometimes moderate, often reflected a strong desire to strike a fierce blow at the core of the slavocracy.

Copyright:

2009

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781135855130

Related ISBNs:

9780203881682, 9780415846097, 9780415846097, 9780415990271, 9780415990271

Publisher:

Taylor and Francis

Date of Addition:

03/27/20

Copyrighted By:

Taylor

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.