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Black Masters: A Free Family of Color in the Old South Paperback – April 17, 1986

by Michael P. Johnson (Author), James L. Roark (Author)

168 ratings

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"A remarkably fine work of creative scholarship." ―C. Vann Woodward, New York Review of Books

In 1860, when four million African Americans were enslaved, a quarter-million others, including William Ellison, were "free people of color." But Ellison was remarkable. Born a slave, his experience spans the history of the South from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. In a day when most Americans, black and white, worked the soil, barely scraping together a living, Ellison was a cotton-gin maker―a master craftsman. When nearly all free blacks were destitute, Ellison was wealthy and well-established. He owned a large plantation and more slaves than all but the richest white planters.

While Ellison was exceptional in many respects, the story of his life sheds light on the collective experience of African Americans in the antebellum South to whom he remained bound by race. His family history emphasizes the fine line separating freedom from slavery.

Print length

440 pages
Language

English
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

April 17, 1986
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches
ISBN-10

0393303144
ISBN-13

978-0393303148
See all details

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Never before have I found the experience of the free slaveholding caste of antebellum Negroes brought to live in such vibrant detail. To be able to detect what Henry James called the 'density of felt experience' behind the enigmatic details of the letters is indeed a scholarly achievement of a high order and, I think, a contribution to all who would grasp the complexity of our American past.--Ralph Ellison

From the Back Cover

In 1860, when four million Afro-Americans were enslaved, a quarter-million others, including William Ellison, were 'free people of color.' But Ellison was remarkable. Born a slave, his experience spans the history of the South from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. In a day when most Americans, black and white, worked the soil, barely scraping by, Ellison was a cotton-gin maker -- a master craftsman. When nearly all free blacks were destitute, Ellison was wealthy and well-established. He owned a large plantation and more slaves than all but the richest white planters.While Ellison was exceptional in many respects, the story of his life sheds light on the collective experience of Afro-Americans in the antebellum South to whom he remained bound by race. His family history emphasizes the fine line separating freedom from slavery.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company (April 17, 1986)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 440 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393303144
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393303148
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #414,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,567 in U.S. Civil War History
- #2,365 in African American Demographic Studies (Books)
- #8,052 in U.S. State & Local History

Customer Reviews:
168 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		74%
4 star		13%
3 star		9%
2 star		1%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Lamont Winchester

Excellent condition.

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

Good to be able to read about the Black slave masters that owned black slaves.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Denise4000

Very informative.

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2021

Verified Purchase

Great book. I had no idea there were black slave owners in South Carolina.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

David

Knowledgeable

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2020

Verified Purchase

Shows true colors of history

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Grumpy Curmudgeon

Black cutlture and capitalism antebellum Civil War

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great book about the dual culture that existed in the South before and after the Civil War. Also a great story about entrepreneurship and capitalism. This is a story that you normally do not hear about. The research that the authors did is astounding. It tells a great deal about the culture that was eliminated by the Civil War and the relationship between whites, mulatto and blacks. I recommend the book to any who like the history of our country.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Katherine Bishop

This book gives a wonderful "inside experience" of slavery in the south

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book gives a wonderful "inside experience" of slavery in the south. It's an amazing true account of a mulatto

black slave ( probably the illigitimate son of a slave owner ), who was apprenticed with a desirable trade, payed his debt to become a "freed slave"

and became successful enough to own his own slaves.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

stephen cronin

Thought Provoking

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

The information was fascinating. I suggest this story should be part of the high school American History curriculum. Ellison's personal struggle offers life lessons for all. The story telling, however, was average.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful