The Waterman's Song: Slavery and Freedom in Maritime North Carolina (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In 1808, a slave river pilot named Hews confronted his wife's master, Phillip McGuire, in the seaport of Edenton, North Carolina..." (more)
Key Phrases: slave watermen, black watermen, slave fishermen, North Carolina, New Bern, African American (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Based on solid research and elegantly written, Cecelski's sophisticated account will appeal to both academic and popular readers. (Douglas R. Egerton, Le Moyne College)

Deeply respectful of historic Black watermen who, like himself, were intimately acquainted with the treacherous and enchanting North Carolina coast, David Cecelski has written the finest regional maritime history of Black Americans ever produced. (W. Jeffrey Bolster, author of Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail)

Product Description

The first major study of slavery in the maritime South, The Waterman's Song chronicles the world of slave and free black fishermen, pilots, rivermen, sailors, ferrymen, and other laborers who, from the colonial era through Reconstruction, plied the vast inland waters of North Carolina from the Outer Banks to the upper reaches of tidewater rivers. Demonstrating the vitality and significance of this local African American maritime culture, David Cecelski also reveals its connections to the Afro-Caribbean, the relatively egalitarian work culture of seafaring men who visited nearby ports, and the revolutionary political tides that coursed throughout the black Atlantic.

Black maritime laborers played an essential role in local abolitionist activity, slave insurrections, and other antislavery activism. They also boatlifted thousands of slaves to freedom during the Civil War. But most important, Cecelski says, they carried an insurgent, democratic vision born in the maritime districts of the slave South into the political maelstrom of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press; illustrated edition edition (December 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807849723
• ISBN-13: 978-0807849729
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #822,883 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Denzel Washington should play Abraham Galloway, December 12, 2001

By A Customer

This is the best book about slavery I have ever read. Cecelski is one of the most eloquent historians writing today. Because he focuses on the shifting shoreline (literal and figurative) between slavery and freedom, this book uncovers fascinating insights about the ways African Americans navigated the treacherous shoals of slavery, Emancipation, and Reconstruction. Although he does not slight the horrors of slavery--read the chapter on canal digging--Cecelski shows how African Americans used their skills and understanding to best advantage, and how they created a vibrant culture of homegrown abolitionism and helped win the Civil War in eastern North Carolina, too. The research is incredible and the writing is beautiful. The author's mastery as a storyteller shines best in his tale of Abraham Galloway, the runaway slave, Union spy, state legislator, and daring rebel whose unbridled life defies every conventional wisdom about slavery and Reconstruction--this chapter should be a Hollywood movie. I cannot recommend a history book more highly than this one.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 7, 2009

By	Minday (NC) - See all my reviews

Definitely worth your time if you are interested in a new perspective on slavery (or perhaps just something in maritime history).