| Black Masters: A Free Family of Color in the Old South Contributor(s): Johnson, Michael P. (Author), Roark, James L. (With) |
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ISBN: 0393303144 ISBN-13: 9780393303148 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company OUR PRICE: $26.55 Product Type: Paperback Published: April 1986 Annotation: In 1860, when four million Afro-Americans were enslaved, a quarter-million others, including William Ellison, were 'free people of color.' But Ellison was remarkable. Born a slave, his experience spans the history of the South from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. In a day when most Americans, black and white, worked the soil, barely scraping by, Ellison was a cotton-gin maker -- a master craftsman. When nearly all free blacks were destitute, Ellison was wealthy and well-established. He owned a large plantation and more slaves than all but the richest white planters.While Ellison was exceptional in many respects, the story of his life sheds light on the collective experience of Afro-Americans in the antebellum South to whom he remained bound by race. His family history emphasizes the fine line separating freedom from slavery. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Ethnic Studies - African American Studies |
| Dewey: 975.7 |
| LCCN: 00000000 |
| Physical Information: 1.2" H x 5.4" W x 8.4" (1.15 lbs) 440 pages |
| Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - African American |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In 1860, when four million African Americans were enslaved, a quarter-million others, including William Ellison, were free people of color. But Ellison was remarkable. Born a slave, his experience spans the history of the South from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. In a day when most Americans, black and white, worked the soil, barely scraping together a living, Ellison was a cotton-gin maker--a master craftsman. When nearly all free blacks were destitute, Ellison was wealthy and well-established. He owned a large plantation and more slaves than all but the richest white planters. While Ellison was exceptional in many respects, the story of his life sheds light on the collective experience of African Americans in the antebellum South to whom he remained bound by race. His family history emphasizes the fine line separating freedom from slavery. |
Contributor Bio(s): Johnson, Michael P.: - Michael P. Johnson is professor of history at the University of California in Irvine. |