An Analytical Evaluation of Gary Nash's Race and Revolution - Term Paper Example

An analytical evaluation of Gary Nash’s Race and Revolution About the book and Race and Revolution by Gary B. Nash is published by Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham in 1990. Gary B Nash is Professor Emeritus. He acquired B.A in 1955 and obtained Ph.D in the year 1964. He was a Professor in the University of California. He has served various positions that include: President of Organization of American Historians, Dean, Undergraduate and Inter college curricular development and Dean of Council on Educational Development. He has served as a member of several editorial advisory boards, prize and nominating committees and faculty advisory committees, guest historian and he is the founding member of National Council for History Education. Gary B Nash has also served as the Primary History Consultant of Schlessinger Production series from the year 1996-97 (Gary B Nash Professor Emeritus) Summary The major theme of the book, Race and Revolution by Gary B Nash is the rise of abolitionism that took shape from the North and the subsequent discontinuity of the issue due to the inattentiveness of the historians and leaders of the north. The author has given in depth details about the role played by the people in the North as well as in the south towards the abolition of slavery and the difficulty in practicing the various legislations passed towards abolitionism. The author has aimed to indicate that abolition of slavery was delayed due to the poor organizational ability of the North. The minor theme of the book is the life of blacks after the abolition that was faced with low paid jobs, prejudiced working environments and the beginning of racism in America. The author has included the details of various legislations and petitions made by the blacks in their pursuit to attain equal rights in various states of America The author has also given importance to note and provide various abolitionist movements and print material that stands testimony to the author’s claim. In the beginning of the book, Gary B. Nash has disclosed his displeasure over the poor attention paid by historians to contribute and record the abolitionist movement after the revolution. However, the author has immediately started to write about the beginning of abolition of slavery in the North and upper south and how it came to a standstill at the first congress due to the loud and indecent arguments of representatives from the South that argued for the protection of slavery for their economic benefit. The author also reveals that though slavery was finally abolished the black Negroes had to face further issues like racism and inequality that posed to be a greater challenge. Book Review The first chapter ‘The Revolutionary Generation Embraces Abolitionism’ begins with a comment on the American Revolution. American Revolution is a period when revolutionaries were encouraged to undergo the incompatibility of slavery in which many colonies were engaged as slave traders or slave owners. There is evidence how historians of antebellum era like Abiel Holmes, and those like George Bancroft and Woodrow Wilson of the postbellum period did not give attention to the anti slavery sentiments that created waves during the revolutionary period. The author states that there is not even a single comment from the historians to show the presence of racial issues and slavery that prevailed during the end of the eighteenth century. As mentioned by Leon Litwick during the presidential address of the Organization of American Historians, that historians have continuously underplayed the importance, continuance and depth of racial issues in the American society. Historians were only continuing the rules constituted by the white colonists and they have not bothered to think about the black people. Even historians like Staughton Lynd of early twentieth century have revealed that racial issues received very little attention. The author again comments that a very well read documentary by Max Farrand on the founding fathers of the nation has even excused the leaders for its failure to abolish slave system by noting that slavery was considered as an accepted norm in the society. In addition to the above historians, renowned historians of the Progressive school like Charles A.Beard and Frederick Jackson Turner had also not paid attention to the revolutionary struggle to abolish slavery. Judgment on slavery issues made during 1950’s and 1960’s period is said to have touched a new low. Though historians were interested in researching abolitionism of the antebellum period no one was bothered to encourage fresh concerns for the cause of slavery. Leaders from northern and southern states also had displeasure in raising voice for anti-slavery issues as an institution. The author notes that according to Lynd, there was an unwilling attitude towards abolitionism and it may be summarized as a tolerance towards slavery while maintaining intolerance for abolitionist movement. Gary B Nash then comments that the concept of abolition earned fervor in the south in 1773 and there was a rapid progress in the spread of the cause for the liberty of Negroes as remarked by Benjamin Rush in his message to Granville Sharp. In the following year Rush has written that there was improvement in freedom issue of the African in America. The campaign against slavery gained momentum with the pamphlet literature in middle and northern colonies. Thereafter, Rush predicted that slavery in America would decline in forty years. Rush was optimistic because the Continental Association forbid slave traffic and decided to keep away trade from all related to slavery. The prohibition of slave trade was not promoted by northern leaders but it came with a resolution formed during the Virginia convention. The author of Race and Revolution points out that the anti slavery sentiment was high in New England and slavery was generalized as a communal sin. Anti slavery was also supported by public meetings in Connecticut, Norwich and Rhode Island and stood for the ban on the import of slaves on the basis of human rights ideology. This kind of antislavery movement was rapidly growing in middle colonies, specifically in Pennsylvania. Gary B Nash has also noted how slavery was termed as a national crime by Benjamin Rush in a 1773 pamphlet and the emergence of Thomas Paine against slavery through print campaign. The book narrates that the antislavery sentiment was strong in the North and that only one tenth slaves worked in the North when compared to the South. Race and Revolution also speaks about the revolutionary step taken by Thomas Jefferson in 1783 to abolish slavery and declare the new born children of slaves free by offering education under public expenditure. Jefferson himself was aware that the revolutionary step would bring opposition from those who would be adversely affected economically and so the changes were put off to be implemented through amendment. The leadership in Chesapeake felt a necessity to ban slavery. This was a crucial step since many of the national leaders were from Chesapeake. Leaders like Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Pendleton and George Wythe urged to reformulate law in 1776 that liberated the slaves born post the enactment of the law. Thereafter there was a common need among the public and the leaders to abolish slavery. The French general, Marquis de Chastellus who visited Virginia was also of the view to abolish slavery and supported his position from a universal perspective. Race and revolution also points out that the younger generation stood for anti slavery while the older generation was concerned about the utilitarian aspects of maintaining slave laborers. The French general also had disgust on slavery since it was maltreatment of the same species. There was repeated emphasis that the people of Virginia and Chesapeake stood for anti slavery and the law that declared liberty to people born after 31st Decemenber 1800 was given due importance since it marked the beginning of abolitionism. The signs that gave evidence to the treatment of slavery as a national problem began with the emancipation of law and the numerous manumissions in the South. Further the prohibition on manumission was revoked in Virginia in 1782 followed by similar revocations in Maryland and Delaware in the year 1790 and 1787 respectively. By the year 1790, manumissions became the privilege of the slaves in the South with the exception in North Carolina. The manumissions in upper south were motivated by the thought that slavery is unnatural and immoral at a time when there was no much productivity from the slaves in the region. If this was not the case, the slave owners had the option to sell the slaves to owners in profitable regions. In the case of aged slaves the manumitting papers were comprised of statements that indicated natural rights and Christian conscience. Therefore Gary B. Nash notes that during the mid 1780’s United States was persuaded to abolish slavery from its society. States that abolished slavery also rejected to reopen importation of slaves. The Superior Court of Massachusetts held through a bill of rights that men are born with freedom and are equal. Another state to abolish slavery through judicial verdict was New Hampshire. Other states that abolished slavery legally were Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island while abolition of slavery was a continuing debate in New Jersey and New York. In the second chapter, Gary B. Nash argues about the timing of abolition. The main cause for the failure of abolitionism is the compromised Constitutional Convention of 1787 which was also seen in the last ten years of the eighteenth century. The 1787 compromise on slavery was promoted by the South which protected slavery with the support of the then national government. Therefore slave trade received protection for another two decades. Georgia and South Carolina were the two states that hindered the ambitions of states in the upper south and north to take slavery to the roads of extinction. Gary B Nash comments that a national policy should have been drafted for abolishing slavery instead of a divisive approach. Revolutionary leaders have only turned apologists by succumbing to the demands of lower South. The author accuses the revolutionary leaders of the times for not taking up the issue and marking slavery as an inevitable part of the period. In addition to the accusations on historians, the author accuses northern states that could not continue abolitionism, which was at its high in the 1780’s, to the next century. Since northern states freed most of the slaves, the south was accumulated with slaves till the 1840’s giving stress to the system of coercive labor. Therefore by accepting the abolition of slavery, the northern states washed their hands away from the issue and it later became an issue of the south instead of considering slavery as a national problem. Historians and educated people in the north then ignored slavery as a problem of the south. The hostility during the Civil War became another reason for the Northern historians to cover up the issue and laid emphasis to their attitude in ignoring the truth that slavery was a national issue and not a regional problem of the south during the post revolutionary period. Historians who support the north have applauded themselves for the implementation of abolition laws that gradually eradicated slavery in the region though in practice slaves had to either die or run away from their masters. However, more importune is given to the fact that slavery was an unavoidable problem in all regions of the United States post the Revolution. Therefore a national solution was essential to eradicate slavery under the leadership of the North which initiated the abolition of slavery by enacting laws. A regional union was not required in a republican government to eradicate slavery which will ultimately earn the advantages of emancipation or else the nation as a whole will be left to go through the burden of slavery. Though the residents of Northern states washed their hands away from the slavery issue, it send message to the south about the weakness of the antislavery movement that took place towards the end of the eighteenth century. The states in the south realized the complexity of freeing slaves at the cost of their own economic benefits. The revolutionary generation of the north indeed was in a situation of crisis. This is evident in the case of the clergy Francis Allison who stood for anti slavery campaign but did not free the four slaves he owned and even in his death bed extended the service of the slaves for more years. This is despite the realization of his conscience that the Father of all, God will question the coercive bondage of the Negroes. The hypocrisy of slavery abolitionists were so high that even leaders who strongly condemned slavery purchased slaves subsequently. This is the case of Benjamin Rush, the philanthropic doctor who purchased and held a slave while he was preaching against slavery to the public. It was difficult for northerners to free their slaves since they were used to avail the service of the slaves so closely that it had grown like roots in their pockets. The author notes that the northern support towards anti slavery movement started to erode with the arguments of the Foster report. Representatives from South Carolina and Georgia spilled verbal argument in indecent manner to give up the antislavery issue. The usage of language was so harsh that congressmen walked out of the gathering and abandoned the meeting. The southerners however continued to defend salve trade as a matter of humanity by offering work and shelter to slaves for which the northerners could not fight back. Thus the Hamilton’s financing program had to be embraced for the economic progress of the nation. The policies of the North could not find a place to implement in print a government supported gradual abolition after the proposal of the south for. By this time, the freed blacks in North had a difficulty in living with the white people especially in Virginia. The northerners then believed that the general liberation of slaves would result in the flow of them towards the north in search of social justice and economic prosperity. After the failure of the first congress, a second congress was formed in 1796 to discuss slavery and its abolition with a major turn with the reminder of St.George Tucker about the population explosion of the blacks and the political explosion of the Carribean that was set to ruin the south. Tucker also made a comparison between the comforts bestowed upon the white European immigrants and the disgrace earned from the maltreatment of the Blacks from Africa. Tucker called for the freeing of slave from social bondage beyond just legislating legal freedom to offer practical freedom to slaves. The abolition of slavery and the freedom of blacks gave rise to white racism. The supremacy of the white was rampant in the north and in the year 1805 blacks were driven away from the July fourth celebration at the independence square. With in the next ten years a black church in the north was burnt. Therefore racism was institutionalized after the 1812 war. The whites in the north were determined to ship the free Negroes to their homeland in Africa and Christianize slave who were in America. In the lower sections of the society, black neighborhoods were subject to bloody attacks from the northern whites who were unwilling to stay committed in a biracial republic. Slave and free blacks were again under trouble. Now slavery became a problem of the north instead of the south. The intellectual elite of the north put forward their efforts again to draft a plan to discuss the issue. The conservative federalists of the north were now the first to defend slavery publicly instead the southerners. In the third chapter, Gary B Nash postulates that the historians in the post revolution era were striving to form the independent republic of America. The African American has played a great role during the revolutionary period with their struggles against racism and slavery and the subsequent occupation into various American states in the upper South and North. The African American then made several statements to free them. However, there were certain circumstances where blacks were treated well with education and job as in the case of James Forten since he avoided the controversy of race and slavery. His popularity with the whites was due to his patriotism to America and his decision to stay away from black organizations and his non participation in black church. However, at the end of the 18th century, Forten joined the blacks to resist slave trade and later became an outspoken person of the blacks. Prince Hall from Boston was another such personality who participated in the war and was a clear supporter for the freedom of blacks. Hall believed that the blacks could never gain freedom, equality and dignity unless there was an organized protest against the hostile whites in the society. Hall was instrumental in placing petitions for the blacks since he was free in the year 1770. Though some blacks earned freedom by this time they could only earn low paid prejudiced jobs and their place of worship was remarked as St.Black by the white racists. Since blacks were separated in the society Prince Hall also placed a petition for the return of the African Americans to Africa since the circumstances in the society was disadvantageous and disagreeable to them. This kind of Black Nationalism and agitations became a regular feature in the North in the subsequent years. When the appeal to return to Africa was not addressed, Hall organized protests against the exclusion of children from state supported schools and the kidnapping of free blacks into slavery. Very young blacks took up the role of a leader in voicing against slavery and racism. The extensive travel and the preaching made the young blacks tough, cosmopolitan and resilient to tackle the changes in circumstance and to deal with a variety of individuals with varying temperaments. Therefore during the post revolutionary period self made blacks from the lowest strata of the society held responsible and influential positions. Even after the freedom of blacks it was difficult for them to find an identity by being a black African living in an American society. The Afro American was then formed by the construction of black churches where they found people hood among the black men and woman. The separation from the white church which had no control over the black church was a major step in the self determination of blacks. This was the main reason for the anguish of the white towards the blacks in upper south and the North. However, the formation of separate church for the black was penalized since this reinstated the inferiority of the black that intensified the racist attitudes of the whites. The third chapter comprises of black struggle in the white society and the various agitations against black oppression and the capturing of free black slaves from the North that was legalized with the law passed in 1793 by the Congress. Racism worsened in Pennsylvania where blacks were not allowed to enter the state freely and the imposition of additional tax for their assistance to poor and tax for carrying registration certificates. The abolitionist impulse had to be kept alive to deal with the racist aggression of the whites on the blacks (Gary B. Nash, 1990). While slavery continued in the American society, the black soldiers participated in various wars of American and had to die silent death for the cause of Americans (Teaching With Documents). Conclusion Race and Revolution is a bold attempt to reveal the reasons behind the delay in complete abolition of slavery and the subsequent evolution of white racism in the American society. The book clearly accounts for legislations made by the abolitionists, petitions made by blacks for their rights and the individual contribution of various white and black people towards the cause. The book gives a clear picture about the post war America and the failure of American Revolution to stop slave trade. The author has laid particular emphasis in portraying the North for the abolition impulses and has also blamed them for discontinuing their efforts when there was mounting pressure from the south to protect slavery. The author also blames the north for ignoring abolitionism soon after the northerners embraced the anti slavery movement and slaves in the north were freed by not taking up the matter in a national spirit to completely eradicate the issue from America. Gary B Nash has given importance to provide crucial developments contributed by individuals and has written the book with clarity and continuity that creates anxiousness in the reader to know more about the failure of abolitionism. The mention of Black Nationalism and the separation of blacks from the whites have been detailed. This gives account of the exclusion of black children from state sponsored white schools and the exclusion of blacks from certain states and facilities. It is worth reading especially when the author describes the agitation of black towards the white authorities to permit them to return to their homeland in Africa since they do not fit into the American society. The book is useful to historians, students and common people who research major transitions in the human history of the world. Works Cited GARY B NASH PROFESSOR EMERITUS Available: http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/history/facultyplain.php?lid=953&display_one=1 . Accessed on February 9, 2009 Teaching With Documents:The Fight for Equal Rights: Black Soldiers in the Civil War Available: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war/. Accessed on February 9, 2009 Read More