In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents and Five Black Lives by Kenneth C. Davis

By -

In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents and Five Black Lives by Kenneth C. Davis



                I have to start this review off by saying that this book is the type of U.S. History book that I gravitate towards, because it addresses the more problematic issues in the United States. This book in particular highlights slavery, but not just any slave story. This book looks at the lives of four presidents who were slave owners and discusses the lives of the slaves they owned. It’s sobering to read, especially when the presidents are men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, men of myth and legend who are the “framers” of the country. I was taught that these men could do no wrong. I’m glad to see that these myths are being ripped to shreds so we can see these men for who they truly are. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Andrew Jackson were all slave holders. Billy Lee, Ona Judge, Isaac Granger, Paul Jennings and Alfred Jackson were the names of some of their slaves.

                This book begins with a history lesson. You have to understand where this country has been before you can start openly discussing one of it’s worst mistakes: slavery. Davis takes his time introducing the topic of slavery, the fight for independence, the life of indentured servants, the capture of natives and the rise of the slave trade. And then after he has laid his foundation, Davis discusses the enslaved men and woman he features in this book, giving as much detail as is available to what their lives were like. He provides historical context throughout so the reader is always aware of what is happening in the country and how those matters affect the enslaved.

                What I enjoyed about this book, meant for young adults, is how factual Davis is. He doesn’t need to pull on your heartstrings or exaggerate the facts. He knows exactly how horrendous the acts committed by the presidents owning other human beings is, he simply conveys the information. And he openly questions how men who fought for independence could own slaves and wonders why some of the enslaved never ran or made the choice to stay. This isn’t one note and I feel like younger readers can appreciate that. This book is also very visual. There are tons of illustrations of life at the time, documents are provided throughout and images of structures are also present. It’s harder to hide from pictures in your face, when reading a description of the horrors.

               I highly recommend this book. I feel like it is extremely appropriate for young adults and necessary for everyone. Davis is sharing the names and lives of people whose history needs to see the light of day. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History's First Global Manhunt by Steve Johnson

By -
Image
Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History's First Global Manhunt by Steve Johnson Bringing to life the story of a notorious pirate to a modern audience isn’t an easy task. We’re too used to the comfort of easy travel, the mythos of pirates and the commercialized imagery produced by movies and television. Images of Jack Sparrow and Long John Silver have been part of entertainment for so long that the idea of true piracy and all it’s ruthlessness has almost been washed away. It isn’t until you’re able to wash away the false images and submerge yourself into the actual history that you can see piracy for it’s truly brutal nature. It also brings up many questions about governments, laws, corporations, scandal, colonization and other factors that allowed piracy to flourish and exist in the manner that it did for so long. Piracy didn’t exist in a bubble. Enemy of All Mankind takes the story of one pirate, who helped usher in the Golden Age of Piracy, and exa
Read more

Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest by Ian Zack

By -
Image
Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest by Ian Zack          In my case it is always the image of Odetta that comes to mind when I hear her name. The tall, undeniably Black woman, hair in an afro, guitar in hand. It must be that I simply did not know enough about her life, her struggle, and even her music to convey more than that image. But her image is memorable and her presence something not easily described. This book fills in the gaps in the story of Odetta that I didn’t know. Looking back at my childhood, her most memorable songs are the ones I’ve known most of my life, singing in my school’s chapel along with hundreds of other Black students, the words having meaning that I can only truly comprehend decades later as a Black woman.          Zack takes his time with this biography, letting the readers learn as much about Odetta as we do the time from whence she came. Her migration from Alabama to California, her feelings of coming from a loveless, forced marriage,
Read more

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

By -
Image
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood I’m going to cut right to the chase. This book is well written but we didn’t need it. I expected more. I wanted more and this fell flat. I’ve read The Handmaid’s Tale , more than once, and I genuinely enjoyed it. The single narrative of Offred lent itself to the story well and it was genuinely a terrifying society. I watched the first two series of the show and though I have my reservations about it, I still thought it was a good show. It does a great job answering questions that the book could not because of its singular narrative. It filled out the world. This book revolves around three narratives: Aunt Lydia, who we know had a helping hand in stripping women of their sense of self and molded them to be controlled by the men of Gilead; Agnes, raised in Gilead with a Commander as father, privileged and set to marry well; and Daisy, a teenager raised in Canada hating Gilead and the abuses women endured that she’s learned about since she
Read more