Slavery in the American Mountain South

by Wilma A. Dunaway

Wilma Dunaway breaks new ground by focusing on slave experiences on small plantations in the Upper South. She argues that the region was not buffered from the political, economic, and social impacts of enslavement simply because it was characterized by low black population density and small slaveholdings. Dunaway pinpoints several indicators that distinguished Mountain South enslavement from the Lower South, by drawing on a massive statistical data base derived from antebellum census manuscripts and county tax records of 215 counties in nine states, slaveholder manuscripts, and regional slave narratives.

Genres: History

368 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2003

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author uses census and other statistical data to show that Indian and black slavery did exist in the Appalachia Mountain region despite popular beliefs. It was practiced by both whites and Indian alike. Difficult for the average reader of history, it appears to be directed toward the academic. It provides a differs historical perspective on slavery in the mountain areas of the South.