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Empire for Slavery: The Peculiar Institution in Texas, 1821-1865

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"Mexico lost Texas by vacillating over slavery."
"Texans revolted against Mexican rule in order to protect slavery."

Both of these inflammatory simplifications were advanced by contemporary writers in Spanish and English, according to Randolph Campbell, the author of this excellent state history. Campbell is never guilty of oversimplification, though he is to be commended for keeping his scholarly language simple enough for non-professional historians.

It's true, as Campbell demonstrates amply, that Mexico vacillated in extending its abolition of slavery to include Texas. Mexico had freed its small population of slaves immediately after independence, but in the 1820s, when Americans began to move into Texas with slaves, Mexico's oft-changing governments were both unable and unwilling to take effective action. But did Mexico lose Texas, or did the American Texans ever truly intend any loyalty to Mexico? Campbell is careful to give thoughtful consideration to both hypotheses.

Certainly Mexico's too-late attempts to restrict American immigration, with or without slaves, and to impose effective customs and duties were the immediate precipitants of the Texan rebellion. But Campbell makes it very clear that the slave-holding leaders of the Anglo-Texans regarded the security of their slave ownership as the highest priority in their relationships with Mexico. Once Texas gained its independence, the passage of a constitution that established slavery as a permanent and privileged institution, and the immediate efforts to recruit slave-owning settlers from the American South, clearly expose the underlying motivations of their betrayal of their hosts.

From independence until the end of the Civil War, Texas was in every way a slaveocracy on the model of the states of the Cotton Kingdom. The laws governing slave property and slave conduct were copied from the older slave states. The management of slave labor was identical to that of the older states. The economic and social patterns were the same. The transition from independence to statehood was seamless at the level of plantation life. If anything, Texas was precisely the expanding slave economy that its founders foresaw, and Texans were as fiercely committed to the "positive good" conception of slavery as anyone in South Carolina or Georgia. At one point during independence, in fact, a serious proposal was offered, to accept British compensation and investment in exchange for abolition; British leaders expressed interest, but the Texans who suggested the scheme were driven out of the legislature and soon enough out of the state.

Texans were not reluctant to join secession. Campbell writes: "...the fundamental reason for disunion was absolutely clear -- it was Negro slavery." Campbell provides solid evidence in his analysis of the Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal Union: Texas had been settled, the document stated, by people "holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as slavery--the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits...which her people intended should continue to exist for all future time." The "great sectional party" of the Republicans was intolerably hostile to the "benificent and patriarchal system of African slavery, proclaiming the debasing doctrine of the equality of all men, irrespective of race or color, a doctrine at war with nature, in opposition to the experience of mankind, and in violation of the plainest revelations of the Divine Law." Later generations may argue that the Civil War was not about slavery, but the Texans of 1861 were in no doubt.

"An Empire for Slavery" is not an account of the settlement of Texas, or of the rebellion against Mexico, or the political struggle for statehood, or the conduct of the war against secession, though it touches on those subjects as much as is needed for clarity. Instead, it's a book about the realities of slavery in Texas - the effects of slavery on the white Texans as well as the black slaves, the impact of slavery on the economic and social growth of the state, the conditions of life for slaves both on large plantations and in 'for-hire' labor markets. I've never read a more clear-sighted, balanced account of such questions. The best historiography is usually the most local, and this book is a model of what local history should be.

Professor Campbell brings to light the institution of slavery of slavery in antebellum Texas. Many Texans have no idea of the significant role that slavery played in its beginnings as a nation and a state. Campbell uses hard evidence to support his work (newspapers, census, private letters, first hand accounts, etc.).

This work goes into detail about the lives and dealings (literally) of slaves. Several anecdotal instances are given for just about every aspect of slave life. Texas slavery also reflects the slavery practices of other southern US states, so this is handy to have for a study of American slavery in general.

Professor Campbell's book is indeed steeped in historical scholarship, but it is nevertheless pleasant to read and easily understood. I highly recommend this book for students(or those interested in) Texas history, the American Antebellum South, or slavery in 19th century America.

I found the book to be everything I expected it to be. While doing the research for slavery reconciliation legislation in Texas, I was repeatedly pointed to Professor Campbell and this work for an accurate depiction of slavery in Texas. Because Texas history is glazed with legendary figures and romantic western lore, its complicity in protecting slavery has been quieted. This work is greatly needed so that we will not forget the truth of our past.

This is a great book that introduces the development of Texas and it's history step by step. It starts off with the Mexican government being instable and later wanting to become a dictatorship. Texas was granted land grants from Mexico to settle families in Texas, this got out of hand for Mexico because so many immigrants were coming from the US to settle in their nation. Also bringing slaves, and an introduction to slaves into mexican territory. This later causes the war between mexico and texas, causing thier seperation and a Texas constitution protecting slaves as property. Slaves later became rebellious when Texas was annex into the US and they wanted to be free. Texas later sesseeded from the US and thus resulted in the civil war- a victory for the US granting liberty to all slaves and indentured servants.

This is a good book with important information about slavery in Texas--a southern state. The book, however, is not written clearly.

Randolph B. Campbell's "An Empire for Slavery" is a book that seeks that inform the reader that slavery existed in Texas and was important. This runs counter to the common misconception that slavery was somehow not as much of a "big deal" in Texas. The author informs the reader of this.

I found this book to be difficult to read, even for someone who is a voracious reader. Unlike most books, which are directed towards a broad audience, "An Empire for Slavery" is written more to teach college students that some things are not enjoyable, and this book succeeds admirably.

As is all to often the case with books of this type, the author seems to feel a need to justify his ideas entirely too much. The author is a published professor, he's the expert. He does not need to reiterate that his knowledge is correct, merely including it is enough for the casual reader.

The reader is left wondering if the author has something to prove to himself with regards to his subject matter knowledge.

However, the author seems fixated on justifying his own position or credibility entirely too much. He allows himself to digress into the minutia, retell gripping personal narratives or include extraneous information. All of the above happen entirely too much and the book could be much better had the author focused on answering his main questions as stated in his introduction.

"What factors explain the establishment & growth of slavery in Texas?
How did slavery function as an economic and a legal institution in the Lone Star state?
What were the physical & psychological conditions of servitude for Texas slaves?
What was the impact of slavery on slaveholders & slave holding society in general?
How did the Civil War affect slavery in Texas before the institution was destroyed in June, 1865?" (9)

In short, this book is a must-read for anyone who is interested (or is forced to be interested?) in forced labor in Texas (ironic, isn't it?), which consists mostly of college undergraduate and graduate students. I wish anyone who is reading this the best of luck in your studies.

I would not recommend this book for anyone who has a casual interest in slavery or Texas history, as you will find that the author's tangents will leave you thinking "what did he actually talk about?" However, as one of the few books to address this issue directly, you will be left with few alternatives.