Throughout the colonial and antebellum periods; Virginia's tobacco producers exploited slave labor to ensure the profitability of their agricultural enterprises. In the wake of the Civil War; however; the abolition of slavery; combined with changed market conditions; sparked a breakdown of traditional tobacco culture. Focusing on the transformation of social relations between former slaves and former masters; Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie traces the trajectory of this breakdown from the advent of emancipation to the stirrings of African American migration at the turn of the twentieth century.Drawing upon a rich array of sources; Kerr-Ritchie situates the struggles of newly freed people within the shifting parameters of an older slave world; examines the prolonged agricultural depression and structural transformation the tobacco economy underwent between the 1870s and 1890s; and surveys the effects of these various changes on former masters as well as former slaves. While the number of older freedpeople who owned small parcels of land increased phenomenally during this period; he notes; so too did the number of freedom's younger generation who deserted the region's farms and plantations for Virginia's towns and cities. Both these processes contributed to the gradual transformation of the tobacco region in particular and the state in general.
#1454813 in Books The University of North Carolina Press 1994-12-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .67 x 5.51l; .87 #File Name: 0807844667300 pages
Review
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Church versus StateBy Gerard D. LaunayThe confrontation between religious and secular values is one of the hottest issues that will confront the Supreme Court in the twenty-first century. Surprisingly; few Americans are schooled in the origins of the First Amendment and the thinking of James Madison; Thomas Jefferson; and other founding founders in including this clause as part of the Bill of Rights. A good portion of the volume discusses this extremely relevant topic. We learn that Madison was instrumental in the passage of the Establishment Clause. He saw it as a limitation on the power of Congress to coerce individuals to worship God in any manner inconsistent with their conscience; indeed to enact any law that involved religious topics.The book continues its discussion of efforts to promote prayer and religious doctrine through government backing by examining leading 19th and 20th century Supreme Court cases. I learned that the celebrated liberal Justice William O. Douglas wrote opinions that weakened the wall of separation; he authored conservative decisions that called for the encouragement of religion by the state...(I expected the opposite). Every informed citizen probably should read this book to discover why the establishment clause is an essential pillar of American liberty.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The definitive book on "The Establishment Clause"By PinkyLeonard Levy; one of the country's leading constitutional historians; gives an incisive and informative history as to how and why the Establishment Clause (and the entire First Amendment) came into being. While it is true that the original colonists escaped religious (read that "christian") persecution in Europe; Mr. Levy exposes the lie that they came here for "religious freedom." That's not entirely the case as the original colonies were; in fact; little theocracies.A great book; well written and easy to understand. If you are a "First Amendment" enthusiast; this is the book for you.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. History of Religion in AmericaBy TED LA scholarly review of the 1st Amendment as applied in America throughout it's history since 1492. It describes the beliefs and laws in the various colonies as well as the States after 1776. Just might surprise you what the Founding Fathers actually meant by this Amendment.
