Dr. Davis' Opus | Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World

Great Research, Bulky Read | Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World | David Brion Davis

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	• Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World David Brion Davis Oxford University Press, USA, 2008 - 464 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Slavery in the U.S. - A Transnational Phenomenon

In Inhuman Bondage, Davis begins his sweep of the history of slavery in the U.S. (and abroad) with the dramatic Amistad case (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 12-26). The Amistad case is representative of the international milieu that is the Atlantic slave trade (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 25). Moreover, the case also identifies the roles of the American judiciary, the presidency, the media, and of both black and white abolitionists (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 89 and 142). Inhuman Bondage is an examination of slavery in the American South, describing black and white slaveholding planters, the ascendance of the Cotton industry, the quotidian (as well as extraordinary) in daily life of ordinary slaves, the highly caustic internal effects, transnational slave trade, the sexual exploitation of slaves, and the development of an African-American culture (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 175-230).

Despite its domestic focus, the book also provides a global perspective across four continents (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 231-249). Davis also takes the time to examine the genesis of American slavery as he reaches back to ancient foundations and traces the long evolution of anti-black racism (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 27-47). Davis follows Orlando Patterson's lead when he writes, "that defining humans as property is of secondary importance and is not an essential constituent of slavery" (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 30). Davis core argument rests on the premise that slavery is about making human inhuman and that, "[T]his absence of a past and a future, of a place in history and society from which to grow in small increments, made each slave totally vulnerable. This may be the very essence of dehumanization" (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 37). Davis more importantly brings to presence the relevance of 19th century slave conspiracies and rebellion, with a detailed comparison between Haiti, Cuba, and Penumbra revolts (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 157-174). Another portion of Inhuman Bondage that makes it important is the connection Davis draws between the actual life of slaves with the role slavery played in American politics. Davis argues that slavery was indeed integral to America's success as a nation and not a subsidiary or unimportant enterprise (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 175-230). Davis writes, "It is thus of immense importance that slaves, regardless of origin or ethnicity, were seen to carry the mark of childlike and animalistic inferiority later ascribed to such supposedly inferior peoples as Australians and sub-Saharan Africans. That said, we should remember that various forms of protoracism and even genocidal racism are not necessarily linked with slavery" (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 53). The previous quote brings up the problem of what genocide is and it's definition. Davis further writes, "Though the word "genocide" has been recently used, the Spaniards clearly had no plan or motive for the systematic extermination of most Native Americans" (Davis, Inhuman Bondage 98) which runs counter to Stannard's claim that they did (Stannard, American Holocaust 69). Nonetheless, Inhuman Bondage provides a convincing account that joins the economics of slavery, the agony of the enslaved, and the history of racism. It is one of the more informed renditions of one of the darkest sides of the American "dream."

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Dr. Davis' Opus

Readers of "Inhuman Bondage" have the privilege of entering the mind of one of the greatest living scholars of American slavery. In what truly may be his opus, Dr. David Brion Davis writes not simply a book, but composes a symphony. Like all great composers, Davis blends seemingly disparate notes into beautiful harmony.

Wide-ranging, even sprawling in coverage, Davis tells the epic story of the inhuman bondage of human enslavement. Laying the foundation with a captivating and accurate portrayal of the history and philosophy of ancient slavery, the author then moves into the modern era of slavery, first in the "New World" then in America more specifically.

"Inhuman Bondage" masterfully weaves together these larger socio-political realities with the very specific psychological realities of groups (such as the Amistad) and individuals. The clear message resonates: even inhuman treatment cannot dehumanize the human soul. In their rebellion (sometimes overt, other times, by necessity, covert and even internal), enslaved African Americans displayed their full humanity.

For a brilliantly written, in-depth, comprehensive, captivating narrative of new world slavery, look no further than "Inhuman Bondage."

Reviewer: Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction.

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Great Research, Bulky Read

In under 350 pages, David Brion Davis presents a wealth of information for those exploring the history of slavery for the first time or for readers seeking additional information to supplement past books and articles.

Unfortunately, it reads like a choppy college lecture, with the flow of material marred oftentimes by the circular exploration of material. A topic may be introduced, then discussed in depth later and then reintroduced for concluding remarks many pages later.

Davis utilizes numerous resources from contemporary historians and it is appreciated that he introduces the author and the work to the reader while quoting from the material.

Inhuman Bondage is an important work in the growing number of books covering the sordid past that has been "conveniently" ignored or flippantly tossed aside in past historical writings.

By coming to terms with the past and acknowledging the damage it has done is the only way the words from Davis and others will truly have full meaning.

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WHAT YOU NEVER LEARNED IN SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH

If you are over 60 and did not self-educate on slavery,you need to read this book. Believe me, slavery was a barely mentioned topic in elementary school through college. I know this is true for Blacks in the South and probably is true for other races as well.

This book is a must read for those non-academics who want to have a better understanding of slavery in America and the Americas. The sexual exploitation and psychological impact of slavery is generally known. This book, however, allows one to get the full picture of slavery from a global, economic and political perspective. There is nothing better for a painful subject like this than finding a reliable (well documented) and easy to read source by a respected author.

A great gift for your friends, no matter what race!

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Insightful, rich and textured history of a truly awful institution

It's hard to imagine that anyone ever believed that slavery was a good thing, not just for the masters but also for the slaves, but guess what - as an institution it's probably as old as mankind and nobody ever had a problem with it until it became industrialized on the New World's sugar and cotton plantations. Davis tells this complex story with authority, backing up his thesis with hard data. He writes very well, and his erudition, professionalism and scholarship show through on every page. It's an excellent history of slavery and abolition, and leaves the reader with a lot of food for thought.

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Winner of a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, David Brion Davis has long been recognized as the leading authority on slavery in the Western World. Now, in Inhuman Bondage, Davis sums up a lifetime of insight in this definitive account of New World slavery.
The heart of the book looks at slavery in the American South, describing black slaveholding planters, the rise of the Cotton Kingdom, the daily life of ordinary slaves, the highly destructive slave trade, the sexual exploitation of slaves, the emergence of an African-American culture, and much more. But though centered on the United States, the book offers a global perspective spanning four continents. It is the only study of American slavery that reaches back to ancient foundations and also traces the long evolution of anti-black racism in European thought. Equally important, it combines the subjects of slavery and abolitionism as very few books do, and it connects the actual life of slaves with the crucial place of slavery in American politics, stressing that slavery was integral to America's success as a nation--not a marginal enterprise.
A definitive history by a writer deeply immersed in the subject, Inhuman Bondage offers a compelling portrait of the dark side of the American dream.

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