Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-202) and index.
Contents:
Introduction : the philosophy of force -- Forcing freedom : the limits of moral suasion -- Fight, flight, and fugitives : the Fugitive Slave Law and violence -- From prayers to pistols : the struggle for progress -- Black leadership : the silenced partners of Harpers Ferry -- A Carbonari wanted : violence, emigration, and the eve of the Civil War.
Summary:
"In Force and Freedom, Kellie Carter Jackson provides the first historical analysis exclusively focused on the tactical use of violence among antebellum black activists. Through rousing public speeches, the bourgeoning black press, and the formation of militia groups, black abolitionist leaders mobilized their communities, compelled national action, and drew international attention. Drawing on the precedent and pathos of the American and Haitian Revolutions, African American abolitionists used violence as a political language and a means of provoking social change. Through tactical violence, argues Carter Jackson, black abolitionist leaders accomplished what white nonviolent abolitionists could not: creating the conditions that necessitated the Civil War. Force and Freedom takes readers beyond the honorable politics of moral suasion and the romanticism of the Underground Railroad and into an exploration of the agonizing decisions, strategies, and actions of the black abolitionists who, though lacking an official political voice, were nevertheless responsible for instigating monumental social and political change."--Publisher's web-site.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.