Although a number of important studies of American slavery have explored the formation of slave cultures in the English colonies; no book until now has undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the development of the distinctive Afro-Creole culture of colonial Louisiana. This culture; based upon a separate language community with its own folkloric; musical; religious; and historical traditions; was created by slaves brought directly from Africa to Louisiana before 1731. It still survives as the acknowledged cultural heritage of tens of thousands of people of all races in the southern part of the state. In this pathbreaking work; Gwendolyn Midlo Hall studies Louisiana's creole slave community during the eighteenth century; focusing on the slaves' African origins; the evolution of their own language and culture; and the role they played in the formation of the broader society; economy; and culture of the region. Hall bases her study on research in a wide range of archival sources in Louisiana; France; and Spain and employs several disciplines--history; anthropology; linguistics; and folklore--in her analysis. Among the topics she considers are the French slave trade from Africa to Louisiana; the ethnic origins of the slaves; and relations between African slaves and native Indians. She gives special consideration to race mixture between Africans; Indians; and whites; to the role of slaves in the Natchez Uprising of 1729; to slave unrest and conspiracies; including the Pointe Coupee conspiracies of 1791 and 1795; and to the development of communities of runaway slaves in the cypress swamps around New Orleans.
#147479 in Books Beacon Press 2006-01-01 2006-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .85 x 5.50l; .92 #File Name: 0807055131304 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Magnificent and Extraordinarily Important Book!By SteveWhat would our country be like today if there had been no slavery? Imagine the increase in our current population if some 600;000 whites and blacks hadn’t lost their lives in the Civil War; imagine blacks being welcomed to our shores as first-class citizens and offered equal opportunities; most particularly educational opportunities; imagine a nation which considered skin color irrelevant; imagine; imagine; imagine … .Instead; slavery to a great extent has brought us to where we are today; a nation still divided and haunted by anti-black racism more than 150 years after the very last slave was freed; A NATION WHERE; WHEN BLACKS FIRST ARRIVED IN AMERICA; THEY WERE CONSIDERED NO BETTER THAN FARM ANIMALS THUS SOWING THE VERY SEEDS OF HATRED AND PREJUDICE WE SO OFTEN HEAR ABOUT AND READ EVERY SINGLE DAY. How did this all come about?In her mesmerizing book African Voices of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Beyond the Silence and the Shame; Professor Anne C. Bailey describes for us as best anyone can the origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade and what drove Europeans; Americans and even Africans to pursue this god-awful business. Making a number of trips to Africa; interviewing countless Africans and to some extent relying on the research of others; Dr. Bailey attempts to explain this dreadful phenomenon. However; for her the journey was far from easy. Why? Because the slave trade’s history is unwritten—its history is oral; passed down from one generation to the next. Yet those Africans whose ancestors either engaged in the trade or were its victims are so ashamed of their past that; for the most part; they are unwilling (maybe even unable) to talk about it. Still; through persistence spanning many years Dr. Bailey did learn about the trade’s origins and workings and shares all this with us in her magnificent book.Sadly; in our high school and college US history courses little mention is made of the Atlantic Slave Trade. And yet it is of such core importance to what we are today that it must be taught—perhaps “shouted out†is a better term. And that is what Dr. Bailey accomplishes in African Voices; a book that should be required reading in every single high school and college throughout the country.Highly recommended!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. For the knowledge seekersBy KaMau-MauFor those seeking an in depth look into our holocaust; this is an excellent book. In many books on the subject; they tend to separate different aspects until the reader gets the idea that Africans didn't resist and made it fairly easy for Europe to gain their economical power. By the time I finished; I had the same emotions and thoughts as I did when I watched movies like Mississippi Burning; Rosewood and Roots. If this book doesn't empower you; you probably need to visit Ghana's Elmina dungeon and see it for yourself.10 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating material; but flawed writing style.By Anthony SanchezThis book is quite enlightening in the history of the African slave trade. Contrary to what one might expect from the title and reviews; the author does not solely rely on oral stories from African elders. The stories that the author quotes; though; are always interesting. Especially; the Africans involvement with the slavery.Of course; a story is just that; a story. As with many long told stories; there will be many aspects of truth and nontruth. That is not to say that any of the legends told were lies. They will contain versions of events as told by people who were not witness to the event. It is like the child's party game of "telephone." You start with a story at one end of the line and watch how it changes by the time it reaches the last person. Changes are inevitable; although; the basic premise may be intact.Still; the author provides a useful addition to the literature. So often; the African slave trade discussion is limited to what occurred in America. This book provides stories and facts of the rudimentary aspects of the slave trade such as the problems with shippers obtaining insurance; and the changes in ships designs.The book informed me on other aspects of the slave trade that I had not known. For example; the international outlawing of the slave transportation did not result in a lessening; but a sharp increase in Atlantic transportation of slaves. Also; the profits arising from slave trading after abolishing were far above what I would have expected. The author too was clearly stunned. That said; the major flaw in this book is that it is so dryly written. Her method of presenting the material is as if one were listening to a dictation. An odd presentation for such an emotional and significant topic.
