Customer Reviews

Rebels Against Slavery: Story Of American Slave Revolts, The

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A wonderful companion book to history textbooks. Having scanned several history texts to find pertinent and relevant facts concerning the history of slave revolt to no avail, this book was a real "find". The book contains several historical photographs and drawings which aids and assists the student's imagination. The chapters depict leaders of the slave revolt, their lives, their beliefs, the risks they took and the many lives that were lost. The book is heartfelt and compassionate. It does not preach, point accusatory fingers, nor does it apologize, but instead celebrates and remembers the African American men and woman men who fought for what they believed in - freedom - during the Civil War.

In an era where I hope we will begin to recognize the mistakes we have made in the past by uncovering our people's cultural diversity, cultural history and the many differences the inhabitants of this country represent, this book is welcomed and applauded. I will use it for my children and in my classroom so that we do not forget, but remember those who helped change and shape the history of our country.

This book is so important because it documents the many heroes and true freedom fighters who didn't just wait passively for freedom to be given to them but who fought for their own freedom and the destruction of slavery as an institution. This book was particularly important for me to have my sons read because so frequently the only history about African-Americans that they learn in school is slavery, the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement via Martin Luther King, Jr. & Rosa Parks. These events, while part of the history, are certainly not the complete story. Furthermore, many of the events and people focused on, in traditional educational environments, reinforce a vision of African-Americans as passive victims waiting for others to liberate them. It is important for African-Americans to know that many of their brethren actively fought for freedom, in overt and covert ways. African-Americans resisted their oppressors and slavery in a variety of ways. African-American leaders consistently arose throughout the history of slavery only to be killed, but even death and torture did not stop leaders and fighters from arising. It is important for African-American children to see the plethora of African-American freedom fighters who struggled against tyranny and injustice. Toussaint L'Ouverture, Osceola (a brave and honorable Seminole) and Negro Abraham, Gabriel Prosser, Nat Turner, Denmark Vessey, these names should be known to all Americans, but particularly African-Americans. These fighters for freedom are true heroes who, analogous to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, et. al., risked their lives to secure freedom from tyranny and injustice. Too frequently only non-violent African-Americans are permitted to be idealized as American heroes, while the Nat Turners, Malcolm Xs and Huey Newtons are decried. The American Revolution to secure independence was a violent struggle. The "Founding Fathers" engaged in violent insurrection against their colonial government and homeland of Britain to achieve their personal goals. Why should African-Americans be forced to apologize for engaging in armed struggle to secure their own personal liberty? I am happy to read that this book does not apologize or obfuscate the facts. It portrays an impressive portrait of African-Americans who stood up against slavery (yes, even violently) and, for once, portrays African-Americans as actors and not just passive victims. I highly recommend it as a well-written, well-researched and moving account of African-American (and Seminole) heroes who fought against slavery.

The work has a fair representation of African-American uprisings
during the early colonial period and afterward. The authors
depict the Stone Rebellion at the 1739 site. Osceola refused to turn black allies over to their slaveholders. Toussaint is
considered the Father of Haiti. The work explains the tactical
retaliation necessary to unbind the shackles of slavery.
Famous Americans; such as Richard Allen are depicted. He was
the first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
This book would be very valuable for any student project on
the rebellions against slavery in the colonies up through the
period of the Civil War and beyond.