Ivan Howard
Professor Patrick O’Neil
American Slavery
9/14/13
“Review of Generations of Captivity”
“No history of slavery can avoid these themes: violence, power, and
labor, hence the formation and reformation of classes and races.” Such a bold yet true
statement/observation that Ira Berlin uses at the beginning of his book to get your
mind wondering, as he often does throughout it. He outlines the history of African
American slavery in the United States form its beginnings in the seventeenth century
until practically the end in about the 20th century. The book provides a reflective blend
and a very broad narrative.
Berlin basically splits the book up like a timeline. He went from the
“charter” generations, to the “plantation” generations, to the “revolutionary”
generations, and then onto the “migration” generations. The charter generation were
the first imported to the American colonies, they spoke different languages and
everything. They were known to be valuable to their slave owners when they first
arrived because of varied reasons. The plantation generation was when the demand
for labor grew so much that slave traders went deep into the African interior to meet
the necessities of the planters. The revolutionary era was probably the most exciting. It
was when slaves were able to take advantage of the chaos to remove concessions.
They were able to build up courage group by group and form a revolution. Afterwards
was the they moved into new territory, the migration generation. Cotton agriculture,
residence in the black belt, and Christianity all emerged as new mechanisms during
this period. But throughout his book it’s the relationships that play a big part in every
generation.
Berlin focuses on the relationships between slave-owners and slaves,
free-slaves and slaves, slave-owners and free-slaves, and even between the
differences between males and females; no matter the race. For some reason the
relationship between different people and races were really important to Berlin. But
he definitely wasn’t the only one. John S. Taylor, the writer of “slavery in the United
States: A Narrative of the life and adventures of Charles Ball, a Black Man…” also made
a big distinction on the relationships between the different people. Whether it is slave
owners hating their slaves or showing respect to their slaves, the relationship between
these people had to be defined in order for you to know that there were different
sides to the story of the history of slaves in America. Taylor uses a quote in his book,
“One morning he rose early, and ordered me to take yoke of oxen and go to the
village, to bring home a cart which was there saying he would follow me.” That shows
the relationship this particular slave had with his master. It showed he had respect for
his slave and trusted his slave to a certain extent. And that point is very important to
the history of slavery. Because what if all people just thought all slaves owners
whipped and killed their slaves. And I think that was a point that Berlin was trying to
make. Because of historians like him we know what the truth is. This is why I think him
and other historian focusing on the relationship between the people back then was so
important. It let us know, not just one side, but both sides of what went on.
Berlin really gained a lot of people’s attention when he began to be
repetitive throughout his entire book. I mean he states “measured by church
membership… black society was much more of one piece in the upper south.” (p. 123).
And then goes on to say “church membership incorporated them into the larger
community” (p.207). And even goes on further to say “churches membership….
provided passports to the larger community leadership.” (p. 230). He goes on and on
throughout the book about how the churches and how its membership was connected
to the community. But to me, the repetitiveness was a smart way to go. For the most
part I supported it. There was purpose to it; he was showing progression throughout
the African community. The fact that he stays so true to certain subjects made me
think maybe he didn’t know every single detail of all the situations that went on during
this time. And so he doesn’t really speak a lot on a subject if he doesn’t know. And I
can’t do anything but respect that, because what he was repetitive about and what he
did speak on, he definitely knew a lot about.
One thing I do question about Berlins writing was the fact that I don’t
know if he really proved his statement that he made at the beginning of the book. The
statement that better analytical structure for the United States history is found in the
binary dissimilarity between slaves and slave-owners over slavery and freedom.
Because as much as he spoke on the relationship between slaves and Slave-owners, he
should have talked just as much on slavery and freedom, so the statement wouldn’t be
so bias.
Overall I’m a fan of this book. It has its ups and downs, but Berlin seems
to know what he’s talking about. He seems to offer a different perspective and that’s
just what the world needs. As many different perspectives as possible, so we can be
entitled to our own opinions. Because no one knows exactly what happened and how
it happened so berlin is bold for stating his opinions the way he did. And that’s why all
this matters! It matters because we need to be educated on the topics of what really
happened throughout history. Not just the same old stories we hear either, I mean
what really happened. Not behind the scenes per say, but just not what we’re used to
hearing. So yes, thank you to Ira Berlin letting us know exactly what he knows, and not
trying to lie when he doesn’t know every part to the story.