Description
Book SynopsisWinner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for History
This searing story of slavery and freedom in the Chesapeake by a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian reveals the pivot in the nation’s path between the founding and civil war.
Trade Review"Alan Taylor has added a remarkable chapter to American history, showing how the actions of black Virginians in the War of 1812 remade the nation’s politics in ways that profoundly influenced the racialized lead-up to the Civil War. Taylor’s meticulous research and crystal-clear prose make this essential reading for anyone seeking new insights into a troubled American past." -- Elizabeth A. Fenn, author of Pox Americana
"Impressively researched and beautifully crafted… Mr. Taylor has established himself as one of our leading historians of the Early Republic." -- Mark M. Smith - The Wall Street Journal
"A comprehensive, scholarly work, made accessible by Taylor’s skill as a storyteller." -- Kel Munger - Sacramento Bee
"Remarkable… it’s hard not to be dazzled by the ease with which Taylor moves from the lives of individual slaves, to the history of a large planter family, to the fault lines of Virginia politics, to the national debate over slavery in the western territories, out into the Atlantic world to the history of the British Empire." -- James Oakes - Washington Post
