Tag: slavery
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Africatown by Nick Tabor
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Africatown: Apparently, slavery wasn’t bad enough, so the discrimination just kept going. Quick synopsis: The story of the last slave ship to land in America and the fate of the people when slavery ended. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: In 1850, cotton consumption worldwide was 1.5 billion pounds. By 1859,…
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The Black Joke by A. E. Rooks
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Black Joke: If you can’t beat them, steal their ship and then beat them. Quick synopsis: A story of a slave ship turned freedom ship off the coast of Africa in the 1800s. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: A quarter of all the freed enslaved people were courtesy of…
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Liberty’s Chain by David Gellman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Liberty’s Chain: A lot of mixed messages in this one. Quick synopsis: The story of Founding Father, John Jay, his descendants and their relation to slavery. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: John Jay still had slaves while serving as a prominent abolitionist. Fun Fact for History Nerds: In the six…
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Freedom on Trial by Scott Farris
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Freedom on Trial: Technically it was the KKK on trial. So “Idiots on Trial” would also work. Quick synopsis: A look at the Ku Klux Klan trials of South Carolina right after the Civil War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: During the Ku Klux Klan trials, the juries were mostly…
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A Shot in the Moonlight by Ben Montgomery
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Shot in the Moonlight: It’s amazing how racism and stupidity always go together. Quick synopsis: The story of George Dinning, who survived being shot in the head to ultimately sue his mob. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Bennet H. Young, who helped Dinning sue the mob, once took part…
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Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Midnight Rising: John Brown was a nutjob. A well meaning nutjob, but a nutjob. Quick synopsis: The story of John Brown’s Raid on the Harper’s Ferry Arsenal before the Civil War. It went poorly. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: John Wilkes Booth was at John Brown’s execution. Fun Fact for…
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The Book Was Better: King Leopold’s Ghost
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for King Leopold’s Ghost: You’ll never look at rubber the same way again. Quick synopsis: The story of King Leopold II of Belgium and how he took over. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Leopold II of Belgium is responsible for the death of about 10 million Africans. Some people today still…
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Battle of the Books: A Land So Strange Vs. Brutal Journey
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Land So Strange by Andres Resendez and Brutal Journey by Paul Schneider: Florida had crazy stories even back in 1528. Quick synopsis: A group of Spaniards who attempted to colonize Florida end up in a battle of survival. The survivors end up walking across most of North America. Fun Fact…
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Be Free or Die by Cate Lineberry
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Be Free or Die: How is this not a movie yet?! Quick synopsis: A recounting of the life of Robert Smalls, Union hero during the Civil War. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship and sailed it out to the waiting Union blockade right under the…