In Search of the Promised Land: A Slave Family in the Old South (New Narratives in American History) [Hardcover]

John Hope Franklin (Author), Loren Schweninger (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195160878 | ISBN-13: 978-0195160871 | Publication Date: September 1, 2005 | Edition: Trade

The matriarch of a remarkable African American family, Sally Thomas went from being a slave on a tobacco plantation, to a "virtually free" slave who ran her own business and purchased one of her sons out of bondage. In Search of the Promised Land offers a vivid portrait of the extended Thomas-Rapier family and of the life of slaves before the Civil War.
Based on family letters as well as an autobiography by one of Thomas' sons, this remarkable piece of detective work follows a singular group as they walk the boundary between slave and free, traveling across the country in search of a "promised land" where African Americans would be treated with respect. Their record of these journeys provides a vivid picture of antebellum America, stretching from New Orleans to St. Louis, from the Overland Trail to the California Gold Rush, and from Civil War battles to steamboat adventures. John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger weave a compelling narrative that illuminates the larger themes of slavery and freedom. To a remarkable degree, this small family experienced the full gamut of slavery, witnessing everything from the breakup of slave families, brutal punishment, and runaways, to miscegenation, insurrection panics, and slave patrols. They also illuminate the hidden lives of " virtually free" slaves, who maintained close relationships with whites, maneuvered within the system, and gained a large measure of autonomy.
The Thomas-Rapiers were keen observers of the human condition. Through the eyes of this exceptional family and the indomitable black woman who held them together, we witness aspects of human bondage otherwise hidden from view.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Tracing the Thomas-Rapier family through three antebellum generations—from about 1808 to 1865—distinguished historians Franklin and Schweninger present an absorbing, impeccably researched account of "blacks who [have] only received passing notice—the free and quasi-free persons of mixed racial ancestry." Through this uncommon but not unique family, Franklin and Schweninger compress vast strata of slavery studies into an awesomely compact monograph, treating the reader to enough material (and drama) for a door-stopper; if the book were not so gemlike in size (it's 4¾"×6¾"), style and substance, one could call it a page-turner. From Tennessee, Thomas-Rapiers travel widely (sometimes as slaves), and there is a panoramic quality to their immersion in American historical events: one attends a Jenny Lind concert; one seeks gold in California; one escapes to Buffalo and later settles in Canada; one is involved with the filibusters in Nicaragua. They become entrepreneurs and adventurers, gamblers and teachers, churchmen and a congressman. They talk politics; they worry about their children. The brutalization endemic in slave culture is ever present. The authors bring it all to life with startling clarity, using documents, letters and diaries with such judiciousness that the scholarly apparatus enlivens rather than deadens. A genealogy that keeps the family connections clear, maps that trace their peregrinations and the fully informative captions that accompany the illustrations supplement this remarkable text. (Aug.)
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Review

"A compelling narrative of African American lives.... Using primary sources, including letters, diaries, legal records, reminiscences, and newspaper clippings, as well as the autobiography of Sally Thomas's son James, the authors have presented an account unique in its archival richness, further illuminated by images and maps. This is a distinguished contribution to American history and social sciences."--Library Journal (starred review)

"For an African-American family in the early-19th-century South, the Thomas-Rapiers had a surprising amount of control over their lives. With her master's benign neglect, Sally Thomas earned enough money as a laundress to buy property, and she saw her three sons into freedom.... The authors argue that this 'highly unusual family' illuminates relatively unexplored aspects of Southern history, and they tell its story elegantly."--Caleb Crain, New York Times Book Review

"A marvelous and rare piece of historical research that is both rigorous in its construction and accessible in its presentation, making it an invaluable resource for academics and non-experts alike."--Atlanta Journal Constitution

"This slim but fascinating book about the Thomas-Rapier family seeks to add another layer to our understanding of American slavery.... The authors might be academics, but their book reads like a novel."-- Sharon Broussard, Cleveland Plain Dealer

"An absorbing, impeccably researched account.... From Tennessee, Thomas-Rapiers travel widely (sometimes as slaves), and there is a panoramic quality to their immersion in American historical events: one attends a Jenny Lind concert; one seeks gold in California; one escapes to Buffalo and later settles in Canada; one is involved with the filibusters in Nicaragua. They become entrepreneurs and adventurers, gamblers and teachers, churchmen and a congressman. They talk politics; they worry about their children. The brutalization endemic in slave culture is ever present. The authors bring it all to life with startling clarity, using documents, letters and diaries with such judiciousness that the scholarly apparatus enlivens rather than deadens. A genealogy that keeps the family connections clear, maps that trace their peregrinations and the fully informative captions that accompany the illustrations supplement this remarkable text."--Publishers Weekly

"A unique and exciting addition to the literature on slavery and 19th-century history. It shows the complexity of slave life and challenges existing historical interpretations without completely overturning the studies of the last thirty years. I love the story itself--what a story!" --James Fuller, University of Indianapolis

"One of the more vivid presentations of antebellum race relations I have seen. So much of scholarship on slave life tends to lose sight of individuals who had to confront life in a slave society. This book brings individuals back into the picture." --Dickson D. Bruce, University of Irvine California

"This work is unique in its combination of archival richness, narrative accessibility, and interpretive range. I'm impressed by the authors' abilities to maintain a focus on the big picture of slavery and emancipation while bringing to life related histories of gender, the city, and filibustering, among others. The 'wholes and parts' dilemma seems to be reconciled in this telling of one family's remarkable history." --David Quigley, Boston College

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Trade edition (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195160878
• ISBN-13: 978-0195160871
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #311,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent History of an Antebellum Slave Family, November 24, 2005

By 

Lee Freeman "lfreeman_histgen" (Florence, Al United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In Search of the Promised Land: A Slave Family in the Old South (New Narratives in American History) (Hardcover)

Drs. Schweninger and Franklin have written an excellent history of the remarkable slave woman Sally Thomas and her three sons, James and Henry Thomas and John H. Rapier, Sr.

The book chronicles the fortunes of a "quasi-free" slave woman and her efforts to secure freedom and financial security for her three mulatto sons in Nashville, Tennessee. The authors deftly describe the often contradictory attitudes of while Nahvillians to African-Americans, both slaves and free people of color. For example, though techincally still a slave, Sally Thomas nevertheless, as a "quasi-free" slave was able to buy property, own her own home, and become a successful and respected businesswoman (opening her own laundry on Deadrick Street), as did her sons James, Henry and John (who were all three successful barbers). The authors describe a further contradiction in white attitudes to Antebellum blacks as, after much hard work and thriftiness Sally saved up enough money to buy her son James' freedom. After being granted their freedom free blacks were required by Tennessee law to leave the state, However James (and several other free persons of color), based upon exemplary moral character, successfully petitioned the court to be allowed to remain in Nashville.

The book also chronicles the lives and adventures of Sally's three sons, James and Henry Thomas and John H. Rapier, Sr.. One of Rapier's sons, James Thomas, was elected to the US Congress from Alabama in 1873.

The book does a great job of putting the Thomas-Rapier family into the context of the times in which they lived, vividly describing the social, political and religious life of Nashvile residents, both white and black, slave and free in the 1820s, 30s, 40s and 50s. As stated above, the book also demonstrates the often contradictory views of African-Americans taken by whites and portrays the ways in which slaves like Sally Thomas enjoyed relationships with whites, artfully maneuvered within the system of slavery to gain a large measure of autonomy, and were in the end respected by whites. This book may serve to overturn some long-held assumptions regarding Antebellum slavery. The authors do a masterful job of describing just how "peculiar" the institution of slavery was in actual fact.

As a resident of the Rapiers' home town of Florence, Alabama, as well as a genealogist and historian at our public library, "In Search of the Promised Land," along with Schweninger's earlier "James T. Rapier and Reconstruction," and his publication of the autobiography of James P. Thomas, "From Tennessee Slave to St. Louis Entrepeneur," is a valubale addition to our Rapier family record collection. The authors are to be commended on their impeccable research and scholarship, while at the same time, weaving this scholarship into a genuinely readable and enjoyable narrative. I highly recommend this book. My only criticism would be the hardback's small size. Still, at 280 pages, a great book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much in so little, February 1, 2006

By 

Elaine Johnson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In Search of the Promised Land: A Slave Family in the Old South (New Narratives in American History) (Hardcover)

I was taken back by the small size of this book and then taken back again by how much history it contains. Not the stuff of dry history textbooks, this book illuminates this era with detail you won't find elsewhere and engages the reader with its intensely personal story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A slave family in the old west, July 19, 2009

By 

J. Rankin "jess" (NC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In Search of the Promised Land: A Slave Family in the Old South (New Narratives in American History) (Hardcover)

This is exactly what the seller described and it came in just a few days