Enslaved Women in America: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia

by Daina Ramey Berry Ph.D. (Editor), Deleso A. Alford (Editor)

Overview

Slavery in the history of the United States continues to loom large in our national consciousness, and the role of women in this dark chapter of the American past is largely under-examined. This is the first encyclopedia to focus on the daily experiences and roles of female slaves in the United States, from colonial times to official abolition provided by the 13th amendment to the Constitution in 1865.

Enslaved Women in America: An Encyclopedia contains 100 entries written by a range of experts and covering all aspects of daily life. Topics include culture, family, health, labor, resistance, and violence. Arranged alphabetically by entry, this unique look at history features life histories of lesser-known African American women, including Harriet Robinson Scott, the wife of Dred Scott, as well as more notable figures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313349096
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	06/12/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	381
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Daina Ramey Berry, PhD, is associate professor of history at the University of Texas in Austin.

Deleso A. Alford is associate professor of law at Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando.

Editorial Reviews

"This is an interesting encyclopaedia covering both the history of slavery, and of women during this era, specifically how gender affected the personal and working lives of enslaved women, not just in relation to the enslavers, but within their own communities. This is useful for humanities collections, in particular for history and gender studies subjects, but anyone with an interest in the Old South, the American Civil War, the roots of feminism and the era of slavery would find this a worthwhile read." - Reference Reviews

"As a compilation of essays and documents significant to the history of enslaved women in the US, this resource will be valuable to a wide range of readers. Summing Up: Highly recommended." - Choice

"This encyclopedia provides valuable details about the often overlooked lives of enslaved black women before the American emancipation. Although other books cover this issue, the encyclopedia approach is unique." - Booklist

"Ranging in topic from branding to child care and from folk medicine to hiring out, these absorbing pieces are also well-written and approachable for a general adult audience and undergraduates through faculty. All public and academic libraries supporting American history, African American studies, or women's studies programs should purchase this work." - Library Journal

From the Publisher

Berry (history, Univ. of Texas, Austin; Swing the Sickle for the Harvest Is Ripe: Gender and Slavery in Antebellum Georgia) and Alford's (law, Florida A&M Univ.) concise volume updates readers on research about enslaved women. Berry's introduction serves as a short explanation of this area of research, which has lagged behind investigations of the history of male bondmen. Alphabetical and topical lists of entries open the volume. Each of the more than 100 entries, most of which are one to five pages in length, includes See also references and a suggested reading list. All aspects of the daily life of bondwomen are covered, and there are also profiles of notable and lesser-known slaves. Also included are black-and-white photos and primary-source documents, a detailed "Chronology of Enslaved Women in America," an appendix covering the "Population of Enslaved Women 1750–1860," and a selected bibliography of more than 340 print and web sources. VERDICT Ranging in topic from branding to child care and from folk medicine to hiring out, these absorbing pieces are also well written and approachable for a general adult audience and undergraduates through faculty. All public and academic libraries supporting American history, African American studies, or women's studies programs should purchase this work.—Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ., South Bend

Library Journal