The book also paints a picture of the complex social dynamics between free and enslaved Blacks, and between Black and white slaveowners. It illuminates the motivations behind African-American slaveholding--including attempts to create or maintain independence, to accumulate wealth, and to protect family members--and sheds light on the harsh realities of slavery for both Black masters and Black slaves.
• BLACK SLAVEOWNERS--Shows how some African Americans became slave masters
• MOTIVATIONS FOR SLAVEHOLDING--Highlights the motivations behind African-American slaveholding
• SOCIAL DYNAMICS--Sheds light on the complex social dynamics between free and enslaved Blacks
• ANEBELLUM SOUTH--Provides a perspective on slavery in the antebellum South