Description
Book SynopsisUsing slave trials from antebellum Virginia, Christopher H. Bouton offers the first in-depth examination of physical confrontations between slaves and whites. These extraordinary acts of violence brought the ordinary concerns of enslaved Virginians into focus. Enslaved men violently asserted their masculinity, sought to protect themselves and their loved ones from punishment, and carved out their own place within southern honor culture. Enslaved women resisted sexual exploitation and their mistresses. By attacking southern efforts to control their sexuality and labor, bondswomen sought better lives for themselves and undermined white supremacy. Physical confrontations revealed the anxieties that lay at the heart of white antebellum Virginians and threatened the very foundations of the slave regime itself. While physical confrontations could not overthrow the institution of slavery, they helped the enslaved set limits on their owners' exploitation. They also afforded the enslaved the sp
Trade ReviewBouton has streamlined the discussion about slavery and power and placed it into a much-needed context of violence and honor, offering a better way to understand the complexities of slavery and why slaves either resisted physical punishment or endured it. Easily digestible by all levels of readership, Setting Slavery’s Limits is a great addition to the scholarship on African slavery in the United States. -- Matthew A. Byron, Young Harris College
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Contextualizing Confrontations Chapter 1: Paternalism & Physical Confrontations Chapter 2: Masculinity & Physical Confrontations Chapter 3: Resistance to Sexual Exploitation Chapter 4: Enslaved Women’s Violence and the Household Chapter 5: Protecting White Supremacy Epilogue: What Violence Meant to the Enslaved
