Soul by Soul tells the story of slavery in antebellum America by moving away from the cotton plantations and into the slave market itself; the heart of the domestic slave trade. Taking us inside the New Orleans slave market; the largest in the nation; where 100;000 men; women; and children were packaged; priced; and sold; Walter Johnson transforms the statistics of this chilling trade into the human drama of traders; buyers; and slaves; negotiating sales that would alter the life of each. What emerges is not only the brutal economics of trading but the vast and surprising interdependencies among the actors involved. Using recently discovered court records; slaveholders' letters; nineteenth-century narratives of former slaves; and the financial documentation of the trade itself; Johnson reveals the tenuous shifts of power that occurred in the market's slave coffles and showrooms. Traders packaged their slaves by "feeding them up;" dressing them well; and oiling their bodies; but they ultimately relied on the slaves to play their part as valuable commodities. Slave buyers stripped the slaves and questioned their pasts; seeking more honest answers than they could get from the traders. In turn; these examinations provided information that the slaves could utilize; sometimes even shaping a sale to their own advantage. Johnson depicts the subtle interrelation of capitalism; paternalism; class consciousness; racism; and resistance in the slave market; to help us understand the centrality of the "peculiar institution" in the lives of slaves and slaveholders alike. His pioneering history is in no small measure the story of antebellum slavery.
#76695 in Books Hobbs Allyson 2016-03-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.20 x 1.00 x 5.40l; .0 #File Name: 0674659929400 pagesA Chosen Exile A History of Racial Passing in American Life
Review
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful. Interesting; Fascinating Book; Wordy and Hard to Plod ThroughBy Regina HarrisonVery; very interesting book. The stories are fascinating; clearly Allyson Hobbs has done exhaustive research on the many stories chronicled in the book.Hobbs does a wonderful job at presenting the impact of passing on the individual who passes and their family. For instance; many times; when a member of a Black family chooses to pass; often that person just disappears from their family - can't risk being found out as non-white...the lengths people go to in order to survive in a racist; bigoted society...shameful time in American history.I also learned about facets of passing that never occurred to me. For instance; indentured servants (many who were White) whose passage to America was paid by an employer in exchange for years of work as a laborer. When these people were able to develop the diction; social graces; etc.; they were able to pass as free; thus escaping the rule of their employer.As much as I'm enjoying the stories; I'd like to see them told in a more concise manner; they are very wordy. I've read 60% of the book and plan to finish. If the stories weren't so interesting; I would have baled on this book a long time ago.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This Book Will Stay With YouBy Dave PfeifferIf you're white and haven't thought much about what it means to be blackin America (like the reviewer) my guess is you will find this book somewhatdisturbing. At the end of your reading you will have one question: Why doesrace matter so much to Americans? The intent of the author is not to directlyanswer that question; but to offer life stories which indicate that our preoccupationwith race is keeping us from being a truly great people. The chapter on the Johnsonfamily is in itself an examination of the whole issue and worthy of a separate book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Keep Reading - There is a gem of understanding hidden in the prose.By Kevin J. AshleyI am torn between a 3 and a 5 for this review. From the standpoint of writing; the author repeats herself a great deal; almost as if she is copying from papers she has written in the past that cover similar topics. This makes reading very slow and redundant making for an "It's OK". However; the topic itself is fascinating and brings so many primary questions about race to the fore that it is definitely an "I love it".Understood from the standpoint of someone who has the physical attributes to do so; "passing" presents not only a tempting choice but an obliteration of the entire concept of race based on genetic inheritance. If a person of black heritage can be accepted by white society purely on the basis of physical characteristics and mannerisms; then blackness does not exist and the separation sought by segregationists is purely cultural and economic; both of which can be modified by the individual; given sufficient opportunity and motivation.From the examples given in this book it is clear to see that segregationism is self defeating and relies on conclusions that "passing" shows to be incorrect on their face.
