Under the flags of freedom : slave soldiers and the wars of independence in Spanish South America / Peter Blanchard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Blanchard, Peter, 1946- author.

Series:

Pitt Latin American series.

Pitt Latin American Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soldiers, Black--South America--History--19th century.

Soldiers, Black.

Enslaved persons--South America--History--19th century.

Enslaved persons.

South America--History--Wars of Independence, 1806-1830.

South America.

Genre:

History

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (255 pages) : illustrations, maps.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania : University of Pittsburgh Press, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

During the wars for independence in Spanish South America (1808-1826), thousands of slaves enlisted under the promise of personal freedom and, in some cases, freedom for other family members. Blacks were recruited by opposing sides in these conflicts and their loyalties rested with whomever they believed would emerge victorious. The prospect of freedom was worth risking one's life for, and wars against Spain presented unprecedented opportunities to attain it. Much hedging over the slavery issue continued, however, even after the patriots came to power. The prospect of abolition threatened existing political, economic, and social structures, and the new leaders would not encroach upon what were still considered the property rights of powerful slave owners. The patriots attacked the institution of slavery in their rhetoric, yet maintained the status quo in the new nations. It was not until a generation later that slavery would be declared illegal in all of Spain's former mainland colonies. Through extensive archival research, Blanchard assembles an accessible, comprehensive, and broadly based study to investigate this issue from the perspectives of Royalists, patriots, and slaves. He examines the wartime political, ideological, and social dynamics that led to slave recruitment, and the subsequent repercussions in the immediate postindependence era. Under the Flags of Freedom sheds new light on the vital contribution of slaves to the wars for Latin American independence, which, up until now, has been largely ignored in the histories and collective memories of these nations.

Contents:

A historical tradition

Serving the king in Venezuela and New Granada

Fighting for the patria in the Río de la Plata

Changing loyalties in the North

Controlling slave recruitment in Chile and Peru

Recruitment and resistance

The personal war of slave women

The survival of slavery.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780822973423

0822973421

OCLC:

884586497