Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World is a book by American cultural and intellectual historian David Brion Davis, published by Oxford University Press in 2006. It recounts the history of slavery in a global context. It was praised widely as a full and comprehensive rendering of the subject and won the 2007 Ralph Waldo Emerson Award.[1]
Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World
Davis, a leading authority on slavery in the western world, has said the impetus for the book began as a series of lectures for a course he taught on slavery at Yale in 1994.[2] Davis' own interest in slavery began with his experiences with the segregation and sometimes mistreatment of black soldiers when he was stationed in Germany as an eighteen-year-old sailor during the last days of World War II.[3]
Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World traces slavery from its ancient foundations through the long evolution of antiblack racism. Davis iterates time and again that slavery played a crucial role in the building of the United States, from the emergence of the American colonies to laying the foundation for "...everything America was to become".[2] In laying out a more precise definition of the term slavery, Davis expands Orlando Patterson's definition—that of extreme "permanent, violent, and personal domination of natally alienated and generally dishonored persons"—to incorporate the attribution to humans of 'animalization', which allows the master to deny any redeeming rational and spiritual qualities to the enslaved that would otherwise bind the two together.[2] Unlike many scholarly efforts, Davis does not devote the entire book to the Atlantic slave trade. Instead he highlights the international character of the slave trade through intervening perspectives and factors such as nations, politicians, the media, and both black and white abolitionism.
Contentsedit
Relying heavily on the account laid out in Howard Jones' Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy (New York, 1987; rev ed., 1988), as well as on court records, newspaper accounts, and other primary sources, Davis begins the book by using what happened on the 19th century ship, La Amistad, because he believes the case illustrated how the American justice system of the time dealt with the multinational character of the Atlantic slave trade. He goes on to cover slavery during antiquity, a comprehensive account of the origins of anti-black racism, slavery in Brazil and the Caribbean, American slavery in colonial America and Mexico, the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, the involvement of Africans in the slave trade, national politics of slavery in the United States, 2 chapters on the characteristic brand of 19th-century slavery in the southern United States, the Civil War, two chapters on British and American abolitionism, and emancipation.[4]
Critical receptionedit
The book received universal acclaim as a comprehensive and career capping effort on the part of the author and the subject matter. Pulitzer Prize winning author Eric Foner called Inhuman Bondage "one of the finest one-volume histories of the rise and fall of modern slavery."[5]
Referencesedit
^"The Phi Beta Kappa Society: Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World Wins 2007 Phi Beta Kappa Award".
^ abcEgerton, Douglas R. "Book Review: Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World". Reviews in History. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
^"The C-SPAN Book Discussion With David Brion Davis About His Book: Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World". C-SPAN.
^Rehin, George. "Davis, David Brion. Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006". americansc.org.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^Foner, Eric (10 August 2011). "Historian Eric Foner On Slavery, Emancipation and Human Rights". The Nation. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
External linksedit
Yale University Department of History. Sterling Professor of American History, Emeritus; Director, Emeritus, Gilder Lehrman Center Homepage of David Brion Davis
Fox, Richard Wightman. "David Brion Davis: A Biographical Appreciation," in Karen Halttunen and Lewis Perry, eds. Moral Problems in American Life: New Perspectives on Cultural History (Cornell U.P. 1999) pp 331–40
Goodman, Bonnie K. "History Doyens: David Brion Davis" HistoryMusing (May 28, 2006)
February 16, 2024
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Inhuman Bondage The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World is a book by American cultural and intellectual historian David Brion Davis published by Oxford University Press in 2006 It recounts the history of slavery in a global context It was praised widely as a full and comprehensive rendering of the subject and won the 2007 Ralph Waldo Emerson Award 1 Inhuman Bondage The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New WorldAuthorDavid Brion DavisCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishGenreHistory SlaveryPublisherOxford University PressPublication date2006Pages440ISBN978 0195339444OCLC62281901Davis a leading authority on slavery in the western world has said the impetus for the book began as a series of lectures for a course he taught on slavery at Yale in 1994 2 Davis own interest in slavery began with his experiences with the segregation and sometimes mistreatment of black soldiers when he was stationed in Germany as an eighteen year old sailor during the last days of World War II 3 Contents 1 Premise 2 Contents 3 Critical reception 4 References 5 External linksPremise editInhuman Bondage The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World traces slavery from its ancient foundations through the long evolution of antiblack racism Davis iterates time and again that slavery played a crucial role in the building of the United States from the emergence of the American colonies to laying the foundation for everything America was to become 2 In laying out a more precise definition of the term slavery Davis expands Orlando Patterson s definition that of extreme permanent violent and personal domination of natally alienated and generally dishonored persons to incorporate the attribution to humans of animalization which allows the master to deny any redeeming rational and spiritual qualities to the enslaved that would otherwise bind the two together 2 Unlike many scholarly efforts Davis does not devote the entire book to the Atlantic slave trade Instead he highlights the international character of the slave trade through intervening perspectives and factors such as nations politicians the media and both black and white abolitionism Contents editRelying heavily on the account laid out in Howard Jones Mutiny on the Amistad The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition Law and Diplomacy New York 1987 rev ed 1988 as well as on court records newspaper accounts and other primary sources Davis begins the book by using what happened on the 19th century ship La Amistad because he believes the case illustrated how the American justice system of the time dealt with the multinational character of the Atlantic slave trade He goes on to cover slavery during antiquity a comprehensive account of the origins of anti black racism slavery in Brazil and the Caribbean American slavery in colonial America and Mexico the French Revolution the Haitian Revolution the involvement of Africans in the slave trade national politics of slavery in the United States 2 chapters on the characteristic brand of 19th century slavery in the southern United States the Civil War two chapters on British and American abolitionism and emancipation 4 Critical reception editThe book received universal acclaim as a comprehensive and career capping effort on the part of the author and the subject matter Pulitzer Prize winning author Eric Foner called Inhuman Bondage one of the finest one volume histories of the rise and fall of modern slavery 5 References edit The Phi Beta Kappa Society Inhuman Bondage The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World Wins 2007 Phi Beta Kappa Award a b c Egerton Douglas R Book Review Inhuman Bondage The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World Reviews in History Retrieved 10 April 2023 The C SPAN Book Discussion With David Brion Davis About His Book Inhuman Bondage The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World C SPAN Rehin George Davis David Brion Inhuman Bondage The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World New York Oxford University Press 2006 americansc org uk Retrieved 31 October 2021 Foner Eric 10 August 2011 Historian Eric Foner On Slavery Emancipation and Human Rights The Nation Retrieved 18 May 2021 External links editYale University Department of History Sterling Professor of American History Emeritus Director Emeritus Gilder Lehrman Center Homepage of David Brion Davis Fox Richard Wightman David Brion Davis A Biographical Appreciation in Karen Halttunen and Lewis Perry eds Moral Problems in American Life New Perspectives on Cultural History Cornell U P 1999 pp 331 40 Goodman Bonnie K History Doyens David Brion Davis HistoryMusing May 28 2006 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Inhuman Bondage amp oldid 1150483362, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
