Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution [Hardcover]

Charles Rappleye (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2006

In 1774, as the new world simmered with tensions that would lead to the violent birth of a new nation, two Rhode Island brothers were heading toward their own war over the issue that haunts America to this day: slavery.

Set against a colonial backdrop teeming with radicals and reactionaries, visionaries, spies, and salty sea captains, "Sons of Providence" is the biography of John and Moses Brown, two classic American archetypes bound by blood yet divided by the specter of more than half a million Africans enslaved throughout the colonies. John is a profit-driven robber baron running slave galleys from his wharf on the Providence waterfront; his younger brother Moses is an idealist, a conscientious Quaker hungry for social reform who -- with blood on his own hands -- strikes out against the hypocrisy of slavery in a land of liberty.

Their story spans a century, from John's birth in 1736, through the Revolution, to Moses' death in 1836. The brothers were partners in business and politics and in founding the university that bears their name. They joined in the struggle against England, attending secret sessions of the Sons of Liberty and, in John's case, leading a midnight pirate raid against a British revenue cutter. But for the Browns as for the nation, the institution of slavery was the one question that admitted no middle ground. Moses became an early abolitionist while John defended the slave trade and broke the laws written to stop it. The brothers' dispute takes the reader from the sweltering decks of the slave ships to the taverns and town halls of the colonies and shows just how close America came to ending slavery eighty years before the conflagration of civil war.

Thisdual biography is drawn from voluminous family papers and other primary sources and is a dramatic story of an epic struggle for primacy between two very different brothers. It also provides a fresh and panoramic view of the founding era. Samuel Adams and Nathanael Greene take turns here, as do Stephen Hopkins, Rhode Island's great revolutionary leader and theorist, and his brother Esek, first commodore of the United States Navy. We meet the Philadelphia abolitionists Anthony Benezet and James Pemberton, and Providence printer John Carter, one of the pioneers of the American press. For all the chronicles of America's primary patriarch, none documents, as this book does, George Washington's sole public performance in opposition to the slave trade.

Charles Rappleye brings the skills of an investigative journalist to mine this time and place for vivid detail and introduce the reader to fascinating new characters from the members of our founding generation. Raised in a culture of freedom and self-expression, Moses and John devoted their lives to the pursuit of their own visions of individual liberty. In so doing, each emerges as an American archetype -- Moses as the social reformer, driven by conscience and dedicated to an enlightened sense of justice; John as the unfettered capitalist, defiant of any effort to constrain his will. The story of their collaboration and their conflict has a startlingly contemporary feel. And like any good yarn, the story of the Browns tells us something about ourselves.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rappleye (All American Mafioso) provides an incisive study of John and Moses Brown, two of four brothers from the Providence banking, import/export and slave-trading family. John spent his life as an unrepentant participant in the business of America's "peculiar institution." But Moses—following the American Revolution, during which all the Browns took up the cause of liberty—discovered Quakerism and abolitionism. He thereafter stood opposed to the business interests of his brother and the balance of his family. (Only Nicholas Brown Jr. joined Moses in his crusade). During 1789, Moses organized an abolitionist group in Providence that was instrumental in achieving passage of the federal Slave Trade Act of 1794 prohibiting ships destined to transport slaves to any foreign country from outfitting in American ports. John Brown—who deemed it improper to deny American citizens "the benefits of a trade permitted by all the European nations"—was the first Rhode Islander tried under that legislation. Convicted, he suffered the forfeiture of his slave ship, ironically named Hope. The tale of the Browns provides unique insight into the festering wound of slavery as manifested, with hard-edged and profitable heartlessness, during the colonial and postcolonial eras. 16 pages of photos, 3 maps. (May 16)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Rappleye focuses on two of four Brown brothers, John and Moses, from one of the chartered families of Rhode Island, and how their maturation reflected the conflicts and challenges of our nation in foundation. Following an initial joint venture in the international slave trade, the brothers later took opposite positions on slavery; John increased his involvement, while Moses became strongly antislavery. Both became central players in Rhode Island politics through both the political and commercial sphere. John's antitaxation, anticolonial activities helped to spur the move for independence. Although Moses evolved into a conscientious Quaker with the highest ideals, they still worked jointly in family-owned businesses and for the common good in the formation of Rhode Island's first college, now Brown University. Spanning a century, from 1736 to 1836, this work highlights regional issues that became nationwide--slavery, the fight for liberty, and protection from unfairly imposed taxations, religious principles, as well as the new nation's political ideals. The Brown family saga reflects on many issues that remain American dilemmas: the balance between commercial and religious and political ideals. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (May 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743266870
• ISBN-13: 978-0743266871
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles Rappleye is a writer and editor who has lived in Los Angeles since 1984. In 1986 he left off a career in journalism to pursue longer-form projects, a step that led to a writing degree from USC and his first book. "All-American Mafioso: The Johnny Rosselli Story" was published to strong reviews in 1991. After a stretch of freelance journalism Rappleye in 1994 returned to gainful employment with a staff job at the LA Weekly. He left nine years later and in 2006 published his second book, a story from the realm of history. "Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution" was recognized as the year's best book on the founding era by the American Revolution Round Table Book Prize and the George Washington Book Prize. Rappleye returned to the Revolution for his next project, the biography of Robert Morris published in November by Simon & Schuster.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable book chronicling the issues, politics and personalities of the Revolutionary period in Rhode Island., May 21, 2006

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Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution (Hardcover)

The tiny State of Rhode Island certainly played a significant role during the American Revolution. Few recall that when Roger Williams established Rhode Island in 1644 it was for all practical purposes the first practicing democratic state since the fall of Athens. Rhode Islanders were an exceptionally independent lot. The burning of the two masted British schooner "Gaspee" in June of 1772 by a group of leading citizens of the colony essentially struck the first blow in the nations quest for independence. In "Sons of Providence" author Charles Rappleye recalls the historic events that were unfolding in Rhode Island in those years and focuses on two brothers, John and Moses Brown, who would find themselves on opposite sides of so many of the important questions of their day. It is a compelling story.

Until recently I never realized how important the issue of the slave trade was as the nations march toward independence proceeded. It seems slavery was a highly emotional issue even in the 1770's and 1780's. John and Moses Brown along with brothers James and Nicholas were members of one of the most prominent families in colonial Providence. The Brown family was involved in all manner of commerce and in 1765 they made the decision to enter the slave trade. And so it was that they outfitted a ship they christened "Sally" to make the voyage. In "Sons of Providence" you will discover why the slave trade was such a controversial and dirty business. If you have never read about the conditions that existed on these ships then you are sure to be horrified. It turns out that roughly half the slaves that were picked up on the West Coast of Africa died during the return voyage.

In any event, in the years following the "Sally" debacle John Brown and his brother Moses would pursue entirely different paths. John was first and foremost a businessman and lobbied for laws and policies favorable to the merchant class. For the rest of his life John Brown would continue to oppose any measures that would outlaw slavery and restict commerce in any way. Moses Brown on the other hand would renounce his Baptist heritage (his great grandfather Chad Brown was the first pastor of the First Baptist Church in America)and become a Quaker. Quakers were among the earliest and most vocal opponents of slavery and the simple Quaker lifestyle held much appeal for Moses Brown. Moses Brown would divest himself of much of his fortune and become one of the leading abolitionists of his day.Although John and Moses Brown would continue to collaborate on a number of projects over the next quarter century they would nonetheless find themselves on opposite sides of any number of important issues.

In his extraordinary book "John Adams" author David McCullough gets much of his source material from the voluminous letters between John and Abigail Adams. Likewise, much of the material for "Sons of Providence" appears to be culled from letters between John and Moses Brown. As such this book provides tremendous insight into the thought processes of those on both sides of so many of the important issues of that era. "Sons of Providence" is exceptionally well-written and meticulously researched. This is a must read for history buffs and a great choice for general readers as well. Highly recommended!

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars eye opening, May 9, 2006

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yankee joe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution (Hardcover)

the north caused and profitted from slavery more than history books tell. this fabulous story shows two brothers who embodied the american quest for liberty while confronting the great question that still haunts our country today. incredible circumstances find the battle between abolition and slavery contained in one family, and details how the north defended slavery during the birth of our nation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate Popular History, November 29, 2007

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wegm - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution (Hardcover)

This is the best kind of popular history book. The author has used the tensions within the rising Brown family to highlight the tensions within the rising colonies. Rhode Island is the perfect panorama for a story like this, the home of individual rights and abolition in America, yet built on the proceeds of slavery, rum and piracy.