Tag: slavery
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The Crown’s Silence by Brooke Newman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Crown’s Silence: It’s kind of their favorite move. Quick synopsis: The history of the British monarchy and the slave trade. Fact for Non-History People: The British slave trade enslaved and transported approximately 3.1 to 3.4 million Africans between 1640 and 1807. Fact for History Nerds: The UK government finished paying…
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Heiresses by Miranda Kaufmann
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Heiresses: You don’t even need to be there to be a terrible person. Quick synopsis: A look at the women who inherited Caribbean slaves. Fact for Non-History People: British enslavers were compensated over 20 million pounds when slavery was abolished. Fact for History Nerds: The debt I just mentioned wasn’t paid…
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The Zorg by Siddharth Kara
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Zorg: A historical horror story. Quick synopsis: The story of the slave ship which ignited the abolition movement. Fact for Non-History People: Netting was attached to slave ships to keep Africans from trying to drown themselves. Fact for History Nerds: Liverpool, England was responsible for 82% of all slaves trafficked…
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Freedom Ship by Marcus Rediker
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Freedom Ship: If you can’t run, sail. Quick synopsis: A look at the Underground Railroad but from a maritime perspective. Fact for Non-History People: If you broke the original Fugitive Slave Law, you might get a fine of around $15,000 in today’s dollars. Later, the penalties increased a lot. Fact for…
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The Sugar Barons by Matthew Parker
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Sugar Barons: Before the tea party was the sugar hell. Quick synopsis: The story of how a sugar empire was built in the Caribbean in the years after 1650. Fact for Non-History People: Processing sugar could kill you in many ways including by exploding stills. Fun Fact for History Nerds:…
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The Great Abolitionist by Stephen Puleo
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Great Abolitionist: Who would have thought slavery proponents could be so violent? Quick synopsis: The life of ardent American abolitionist and senator, Charles Sumner. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: While I don’t condone caning someone, it turns out Sumner did mock a colleague who just had a stroke during…
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Hell Put to Shame by Earl Swift
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Hell Put to Shame: Hell is definitely where they are going. Quick synopsis: The story of the Murder Farm Massacre in 1921 Georgia. Fact for Non-History People: From 1889-1918, Black victims made up 93.3% of lynching cases in Georgia. Fact for History Nerds: The peonage system is tough to pin…
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Flee North by Scott Shane
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Flee North: Thomas Smallwood is the KING of trolling 1800s slaveowners. Quick synopsis: The story of an extremely successful branch of the Underground Railroad in the 1840s. Fact for Non-History People: After helping slaves escape, Smallwood would write and articles that Torrey published mocking the slaveowners for “losing” their slaves. Again,…
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A Madman’s Will by Gregory May
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Madman’s Will: He screwed up the best thing he ever did. Quick synopsis: The story of the 383 manumitted slaves of John Randolph. Fact for Non-History People: After 1806, Virginia required freed slaves to leave the area within one year because God forbid they start spreading that whole “freedom” idea…