Product Description
Winner of a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, David Brion Davis has long been recognized as the leading authority on slavery in the Western World. Now, in Inhuman Bondage, Davis sums up a lifetime of insight in this definitive account of New World slavery.
The heart of the book looks at slavery in the American South, describing black slaveholding planters, the rise of the Cotton Kingdom, the daily life of ordinary slaves, the highly destructive slave trade, the sexual exploitation of slaves, the emergence of an African-American culture, and much more. But though centered on the United States, the book offers a global perspective spanning four continents. It is the only study of American slavery … More >>
Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World
June 8th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
This book contributes to recent studies on slavery in Brazil and the French west indies, a wide study ot Slavery in the new world, explainings its origins, terrors, history and final liberations and conflicts. One wonders however how much the subjects needs a companion on Slavery in the Old World, and why there is no discussion of how pre-European enslavement of Africans by Arabs led to the formation of slave empires in Zanzibar and west africa that fueled the European slave trade. Imainge if these scholars dared to prick the bubble and reveal the fact that Slavery did not originate among Europeans and tha tin fact a study must be done on the rise and fall of slavery in the old world.
Seth J. Frantzman
Rating: 5 / 5
June 8th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
In Inhuman Bondage, Davis begins his sweep of the history of slavery in the U.S. (and abroad) with the dramatic Amistad case (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 12-26). The Amistad case is representative of the international milieu that is the Atlantic slave trade (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 25). Moreover, the case also identifies the roles of the American judiciary, the presidency, the media, and of both black and white abolitionists (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 89 and 142). Inhuman Bondage is an examination of slavery in the American South, describing black and white slaveholding planters, the ascendance of the Cotton industry, the quotidian (as well as extraordinary) in daily life of ordinary slaves, the highly caustic internal effects, transnational slave trade, the sexual exploitation of slaves, and the development of an African-American culture (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 175-230).
Despite its domestic focus, the book also provides a global perspective across four continents (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 231-249). Davis also takes the time to examine the genesis of American slavery as he reaches back to ancient foundations and traces the long evolution of anti-black racism (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 27-47). Davis follows Orlando Patterson’s lead when he writes, “that defining humans as property is of secondary importance and is not an essential constituent of slavery” (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 30). Davis core argument rests on the premise that slavery is about making human inhuman and that, “[T]his absence of a past and a future, of a place in history and society from which to grow in small increments, made each slave totally vulnerable. This may be the very essence of dehumanization” (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 37). Davis more importantly brings to presence the relevance of 19th century slave conspiracies and rebellion, with a detailed comparison between Haiti, Cuba, and Penumbra revolts (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 157-174). Another portion of Inhuman Bondage that makes it important is the connection Davis draws between the actual life of slaves with the role slavery played in American politics. Davis argues that slavery was indeed integral to America’s success as a nation and not a subsidiary or unimportant enterprise (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 175-230). Davis writes, “It is thus of immense importance that slaves, regardless of origin or ethnicity, were seen to carry the mark of childlike and animalistic inferiority later ascribed to such supposedly inferior peoples as Australians and sub-Saharan Africans. That said, we should remember that various forms of protoracism and even genocidal racism are not necessarily linked with slavery” (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 53). The previous quote brings up the problem of what genocide is and it’s definition. Davis further writes, “Though the word “genocide” has been recently used, the Spaniards clearly had no plan or motive for the systematic extermination of most Native Americans” (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 98) which runs counter to Stannard’s claim that they did (Stannard, American Holocaust 69). Nonetheless, Inhuman Bondage provides a convincing account that joins the economics of slavery, the agony of the enslaved, and the history of racism. It is one of the more informed renditions of one of the darkest sides of the American “dream.”
Rating: 5 / 5
June 8th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
It’s hard to imagine that anyone ever believed that slavery was a good thing, not just for the masters but also for the slaves, but guess what – as an institution it’s probably as old as mankind and nobody ever had a problem with it until it became industrialized on the New World’s sugar and cotton plantations. Davis tells this complex story with authority, backing up his thesis with hard data. He writes very well, and his erudition, professionalism and scholarship show through on every page. It’s an excellent history of slavery and abolition, and leaves the reader with a lot of food for thought.
Rating: 5 / 5
June 8th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
In under 350 pages, David Brion Davis presents a wealth of information for those exploring the history of slavery for the first time or for readers seeking additional information to supplement past books and articles.
Unfortunately, it reads like a choppy college lecture, with the flow of material marred oftentimes by the circular exploration of material. A topic may be introduced, then discussed in depth later and then reintroduced for concluding remarks many pages later.
Davis utilizes numerous resources from contemporary historians and it is appreciated that he introduces the author and the work to the reader while quoting from the material.
Inhuman Bondage is an important work in the growing number of books covering the sordid past that has been “conveniently” ignored or flippantly tossed aside in past historical writings.
By coming to terms with the past and acknowledging the damage it has done is the only way the words from Davis and others will truly have full meaning.
Rating: 4 / 5
June 8th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
David Brion Davis wrote one of the major works on Slavery with “THe Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution”. That was a fairly detailed and tight work on the ideological foundations of modern slavery. His latest work, “Inhuman Bondage” is more sprightly and more disorganized. Chapters tend to meander in time and, to a lesser extent, focus, and Davis does things that I often frown on in scholarly research such as refering to himself in the first person and mentioning other scholars by name in the text (the latter is done copiously). That said, the book still works. It’s very readable and, even for someone who knows a lot about slavery, should have some new insights. Most American works on slavery are, naturally, focused on slavery as it existed in the United States. Davis expands his scope beyond the United States, indeed much of the focus of the book is on Carribbean slavery. He also deals with slavery in the ancient and medieval world. Like his previous work this book deals a lot with the philosophical and political underpinnings of slavery. Davis gives an overview of why slavery became such an important institution in the western world and why it was eventually abolished.
Rating: 4 / 5