Race and Revolution by Gary

¶ … Race and Revolution by Gary Nash. Specifically it will contain an analysis of the book. The author's thesis for this short history of enslavement and rebellion during the American Revolution is what made the founding fathers fail to abolish slavery when they had the opportunity. He writes, "In particular, I wish to stress the role of the northern states in the failure to abolish slavery and to show how economic and cultural factors intertwined in what was not a judicious decision by the leaders of the new American nation but their most tragic failure" (Nash, 1990, p. 6). In addition, the book looks at how revolutionaries at first embraced abolition, their failure to create a slave-free nation, and the way black Americans coped in the white world after Revolution.

The author's purpose in writing this book was to take a different view of the American Revolution, and why the founding fathers failed to outlaw slavery in this new world. This is one of the most enduring questions in American history. Why did it take 100 years and a war to end slavery, when the founding fathers could have ended the practice once and for all when they framed the Constitution? This is a hard decision to understand, and he shows that it was difficult for the founding fathers, as well. For example, he writes, "Such poignant comments [against slavery], often coming from the South as well as the North, tell us that in the eyes of many leaders the continuing presence of slavery left the union of states highly fragile from the day the Constitution took effect" (Nash, 1990, p. 27). However, abolitionism failed, and the country would have to fight a Civil War to finally settle the issue of slavery. This book helps the history student understand the phenomenon that led to this failure, and then how it affected the country until the Civil War occurred.

The author organizes the information quite well in chapters that discuss before, during, and after the American Revolution and the changing views of slavery. In fact, he uses a timeline of sorts to organize the book, which makes it easy to place in context with other texts on the Revolution. He follows the birth of a new nation with changing views on society and culture, and shows a trend that began in the early 19th century that doomed the abolitionist movement. He writes, "Any ember of northern desire to participate in a national plan for abolition, gradual or immediate, had ceased to glow. Instead, a belligerent white supremacism was manifesting itself throughout the North" (Nash, 1990, p. 49). He found this trend continued throughout the first half of the century in many areas, which explains at least some of why the blacks did not gain their freedom before the Civil War.

The book is actually composed of a series of essays, and the author produces large volumes of proof to support the claims in these essays, which he presents at the end of the book. Thus, the student can examine Nash's conclusions and then easily back them up with the authentic historical documents he used to reach his conclusions. For example, he uses a number of documents as testimonials in the First Chapter to specify just how many people were against slavery both before and during the Revolution, and to point out that the framers of the American Constitution did have a choice, but they did not utilize it.

They clearly could have eliminated slavery, and it was actually an excellent time to try to end the practice. However, for a variety of reasons, they did not, and the documents in this chapter help offer information about why they passed over this opportunity. Thus, he uses his research and documents quite effectively, but more than that, he presents his conclusions quite frankly, leaving the student no question about where he stands on his thesis. He uses numerous quotes from source docs, and he does not imply his conclusions, he spells them out. He also writes in a relatively easy to read style that is academic but not too pedantic, and so it is easy for the student to follow and understand.

In the context of the course, this book ties in quite well. It explains a part of American history that has often been questioned, but not answered so effectively. The author uses his research to debunk some of the well-known myths of this time, such as the fact that South Carolina and Georgia were the main foes of abolition, and they had enough power to create animosity towards abolition. In fact, the author writes, "In fact, Georgia and less so South Carolina, were precariously situation in 1787 and had far greater need of a strong federal government than the rest of the states had need of them" (Nash, 1990, p. 27). Throughout the book, the author uses evidence such as this to show that other histories may not always be accurate, and that historians and readers should sometimes question the well-held believes that have been passed down from generation to generation. In this, the author helps explain to history students why they should questions such well-held beliefs, study the source docs, and come to their own conclusions, and that supports this course's context and assigned readings quite well.

Nash's book shows that this piece of history was determined by numerous factors, including economic forces, individuals, geography, and even societal views. The economics of slavery and ending it are clear. Even the founding fathers recognized that they need to compensate slave owners if they ended slavery, and the details of this compensation could never be agreed upon. At the time, slaves were used primarily in the very high labor crops of tobacco and cotton, and southern growers felt they simply could not survive economically without their slaves. However, there was much more to slavery and its perpetuation than economics. There was the deep divide between the North and South, with the industrialized North having far different viewpoints than the agricultural South. There was also the growing societal views against blacks and free blacks, leading to a society that was based on prejudice and hatred rather than abolition. All of these factors helped perpetuate slavery, and Nash spells them all out in this book, making it easier for the reader to understand what happened to the idea of abolition after the country gained its freedom from Great Britain.