When the first edition of this revolutionary book appeared in 1990; it seemed that the study of African Americans in slavery was out of temporal and geographical balance. Most of the time that slavery existed in the United States was the colonial period. Yet the focus of the study of American slavery - and indeed of the history of all African Americans before the Civil War - long had been on the institution as it operated in the Cotton South from about 1830 to 1860. African Americans in the Colonial Era served as an early corrective to that imbalance; and a broad wave of new historical literature on African-American colonial history has since emerged. Carefully revised and greatly expanded in light of that new scholarship; the second edition of this highly popular book also includes new topics such as African-Americans in colonial Louisiana and Spanish Florida. Readers will be taken through the totality of the early African-American experience; with material on west African culture; the Atlantic slave trade; the regional differences under which the institution operated; the rise of race-based prejudice; the role of African-Americans in the American Revolution; and the manifestation and evolution of the African-American family and community; the keystone to the formation of African-American culture.
#1790664 in Books 2007-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.17 x 1.57 x 6.50l; 1.98 #File Name: 0881460605495 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I Felt Like I Was With ThemBy CustomerI am writing a book about my 3x great uncle so I ordered this book because he was in Phillips Legion (Co. B; Dalton Guards). The timeline the book presents helped with my research. I have flagged close to one hundred passages that will help as I cover his service during the Civil War. I wasn't sure if I would be able to follow all the military lingo. However; the more I read; the more I understood about weaponry; maneuvers; and military life during the Civil War.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great bookBy CustomerI loved this book. Meant even more because I am from GA where most of these me came. I see their graves by the 100's. I have photographed them. I cannot say enough about I much I liked this book.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. A historical front-line portrait of the men and their unitBy F. MalmstromThis book is a rare insight into not only the strategic actions but a personal portrait of the men of a heretofore major but undocumented Georgia Confederate fighting unit. Most Civil War histories are written from the Union perspective. Not this one.The Phillips Georgia Legion (including the cavalry regiment) was formed shortly after secession and fought in nearly every major engagement on the Eastern Front; including the dreadful Wilderness campaign and the inevitable surrender at Appomatox. Although not stated directly; it is sad to note how pitifully depleted and desperate the Phillips infantry was at the end of the war.Coffman and Graham have done their homework; obviously expending considerable effort in footnoting and in reconstructing chronologically the battles and movements of the Phillips infantry battalion. There are plenty of maps and explanations to go with them.What makes this a superb history is not just its ease of reading; but the interspersion of the many contemporary diary entries and letters of the soldiers who were there on the front lines. There are plenty of photos and biosketches of many of the soldiers. To make it even better; Coffman and Graham also interviewed some soldiers' descendents. Their narrative flows in a style worthy of Foote and Catton -- only this time the history comes from the South.The second half of the book is devoted to the unit rosters; including the hundreds of names and the official records of each of the men and some of their post-war lives. It's all nicely documented for anyone who is into genealogy.One other note: The Phillips Legion consisted of both an infantry and a cavalry battalion. This book is limited to only the history of the infantry. I can only suppose that a separate volume on the history of the cavalry will follow.This book is written especially from the Confederate viewpoint. You won't find another history book like this one. I predict it will be in print for a long; long time.Frederick V. Malmstrom; Ph.D.U.S. Air Force Academy
