Slavery and freedom in Delaware, 1639-1865 / William H. Williams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Williams, William Henry, 1936-2007.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Slavery--Delaware--History.

Slavery.

African Americans--Delaware--History.

African Americans.

Freed persons--Delaware.

Freed persons.

Race relations.

History.

Delaware--Race relations.

Delaware.

Physical Description:

xvii, 270 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Wilmington, Del. : SR Books, 1996.

Summary:

This book is the first comprehensive analysis of the "peculiar institution" in the First State. In Slavery and Freedom in Delaware, Williams takes the reader on a richly detailed historical tour, starting with the introduction of the first African slave to the Delaware area by the Swedes in 1639 to the uncertain years in the early 1860s, before the abolition of slavery with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.

The history of slavery in Delaware is riddled with intriguing paradoxes. While Delaware troops wore the Union blue in the Civil War, southern culture and mystique exerted a singular influence on the state. In the 1760s, when slavery was most prominent in Delaware, one-quarter of its population was enslaved. This percentage was far higher than could be found in any northern colony but lower than in any other colony in the South. Slavery and Freedom in Delaware provides valuable insight into this unfortunate, unforgettable period in the nation's history.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-257) and index.

ISBN:

0842025944

0842028471

OCLC:

34472995