Freedom - by René Hayden & Anthony E Kaye & Kate Masur & Steven F Miller & Susan E O'Donovan & Leslie S Rowland & Stephen A West (Hardcover)

About the Book

Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861-1867: Series 3, Volume 2: Land and Labor, 1866-1867

Book Synopsis

Land and Labor, 1866-1867 examines the remaking of the South's labor system in the tumultuous aftermath of emancipation. Using documents selected from the National Archives, this volume of Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation depicts the struggle of unenfranchised and impoverished ex-slaves to control their own labor, establish their families as viable economic units, and secure independent possession of land. Among the topics addressed are the dispossession of settlers in the Sherman reserve, the reordering of labor on plantation and farm, nonagricultural labor, new relations of credit and debt, long-distance labor migration, and the efforts of former slaves to rent, purchase, and homestead land. The documents -- many of them in the freedpeople's own words -- speak eloquently for themselves, while the editors' interpretive essays provide context and illuminate major themes.

Review Quotes

"A stunning accomplishment. . . . These volumes ought to be required reading for every national political leader, as American race relations and so much subsequent American history resulted from the conflicts they document." -- Journal of American History

"Full of insights on the dynamics of land and labor in the critical first years following emancipation." -- Louisiana History

About the Author

René Hayden is an independent scholar in Washington, D.C. Anthony E. Kaye is associate professor of history at Pennsylvania State University. Kate Masur is associate professor of history and African American studies at Northwestern University. Steven F. Miller is coeditor of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project at the University of Maryland. Susan E. O'Donovan is associate professor of history at the University of Memphis. Leslie S. Rowland is associate professor of history at the University of Maryland and director of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project. Stephen A. West is associate professor of history at the Catholic University of America.