The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia AlvarezMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Tuesday, November 12, 2024
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Review: Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom
Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon WooMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
It is Wednesday, December 20, 1848, when a young invalid gentleman and his enslaved man board a train in Macon, Georgia, heading north to visit family in Philadelphia. At least, it appeared to be the case. In actuality, the young man was Ellen Craft, an enslaved woman whose skin was so light that she could pass as white, and with her was her husband William, who acted as her enslaved man. Ellen and William were charged to different enslavers and Ellen's future in Macon was in doubt. With the expectation that Ellen would be sold soon to an enslaver in New Orleans, she and William devised a detailed plan to escape under disguise, not as husband and wife, but as master and slave.
Ilyon Woo details their journey and their life of freedom as activists in the States and abroad. Over time, their story was mostly forgotten. Woo brings that story back to life, utilizing the Crafts' autobiography, as well as a plethora of diaries, letters, newspapers, and other primary resources. During her research, Woo meticulously sought to corroborate the Crafts' story in their autobiography, mostly with success. Highly readable non-fiction that often reads like a novel.
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Review: A Land As God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America
A Land As God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America by James HornMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jamestown, Virginia, is the site of the first English-sponsored settlement in America and the birthplace of our now United States. English settlers arrived in Jamestown 14 years before pilgrims landed in Plymouth, and despite the many hardships that settlers faced, including disease, natural disasters, and political warfare, the town endured.
Historian James Horn chronicles the history of Jamestown from the first landing by English colonists through the end of the English settlement charter. In 1606, an English trading company known as the "Virginia Company," sponsored by King James I, commissioned three ships to colonize America. Under the leadership of Captain Christopher Newport, the Susan (or Sarah) Constant anchored in Jamestown along with the Discovery and Godspeed. Among the men who sailed on these ships were historical notables John Smith and John Rolfe. Horn relates their stories, situating them in the context of early American political history. Horn describes the relationship of the English settlers with the indigenous people of the area, particularly with Powhatan tribes and their leaders, Wahunsonacock and Opechancanough. The English promoted and worked toward Christianizing Powhatans. Although the indigenous people under the leadership of Opechancanough and other high-ranking Powhatans appeared to fall under the whims of the English, rebellion eventually broke out, leading to death and destruction for both peoples. On many occasions, the English settlers were nearly decimated by disease, hunger, natural disasters, and warfare. After the uprising by the Powhatans, the English charter was pulled, causing the Virginia Company to disband in 1624. By then, Jamestown was established, and local settlers continued with their own leadership as a royal colony of England.
In summation, Horn makes an interesting point, "Had Jamestown failed, as seemed probable on any number of occasions in its first fifteen years, English attempts to establish settlements in the Chesapeake might have been delayed for several decades, or even abandoned." (p. 288) America could have been settled at a much different time, by a different sovereignty, or not at all. If relations with Indigenous people had turned out differently with a different group of colonizers, perhaps the country would have been left with those who rightfully belong to it.
This is an excellent resource for early American political and racial history.
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Sunday, January 7, 2024
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