The New York Times published a piece today on lynchings in the South. The piece focused on a report by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), which examined lynchings in twelve southern states. Much of the report reinforces what historians such as Amy Louise Wood, Fitzhugh Brundage, and others have written about lynching, but a couple … Continue reading Remembering Lynching in the U.S.
From Life to Film: Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave
If you watched the Oscars last night, you are aware that Twelve Years a Slave won Best Picture. I have used Solomon Northup's narrative in my first-year U.S. survey courses on a couple of occasions, but the availability of the movie will probably force me to retire it as an option. Still, it's an engrossing story, … Continue reading From Life to Film: Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave
Review of Smith, The Slaves’ Gamble
Gene Smith's new book on the African-American experience during the War of 1812 is the kind of book that should have been written a long time ago. The Slaves' Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812 places African Americans front-and-center in discussions about the period between the American Revolution and 1820. Smith, professor of history … Continue reading Review of Smith, The Slaves’ Gamble
The African American Experience during the War of 1812
I've previously lamented (here and here) the lack of attention paid to the War of 1812. A more specific historiographical gap concerns the role of African Americans during the war. At least two scholars (and hopefully more) are addressing that deficiency. Gene Smith, professor of history at TCU, has a new book out on slavery … Continue reading The African American Experience during the War of 1812
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 