Hundreds of slave revolts and conspiracies occurred during the two centuries that North America engaged in slavery. None were successful, but certain campaigns were significant enough to inspire other revolts, fuel a chronic fear of uprising in slaveholders and politicians, and keep alive the perennial desire for freedom felt by black slaves. Kerry Walters examines 10 representative revolts and offers narratives, primary materials, chronologies and biographies of participants for high school and undergraduate students.

The book also contains an annotated bibliography of print and online primary and secondary sources for students seeking material for research papers and projects, as well as an examination of fictional depictions of slave revolts in novels and film. Walters offers information on a compelling topic that will be of interest to students of American history or sociology as well as anyone engaging in multicultural studies.

Features

• Offers an overview of American slave revolts and conspiracies to revolt
• Explores the context of chronic fear of uprising in slaveholding colonies and states in North America from 1663 to 1861
• Offers accounts gleaned from primary resources regarding slave leaders and their lieutenants, and of the trials that condemned them
• Describes the climate of fear in which slaveholding whites lived, as well as the various social practices and legal statutes they enacted to minimize the risk of slave revolt
• Includes a narrative, primary materials, biographics, a chronology, and an annotated bibliography—all of which will be helpful to students writing papers on the topic