Black Masters: A Free Family of Color in the Old South

Book

-

Historic Charleston Foundation

Name/Title

Black Masters: A Free Family of Color in the Old South

Entry/Object ID

2018.004.2

Description

In 1860, when four million African Americans were enslaved, a quarter-million others, including William Ellison, were "free people of color." But Ellison was remarkable. Born a slave, his experience spans the history of the South from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. In a day when most Americans, black and white, worked the soil, barely scraping together a living, Ellison was a cotton-gin maker—a master craftsman. When nearly all free blacks were destitute, Ellison was wealthy and well-established. He owned a large plantation and more slaves than all but the richest white planters. While Ellison was exceptional in many respects, the story of his life sheds light on the collective experience of African Americans in the antebellum South to whom he remained bound by race. His family history emphasizes the fine line separating freedom from slavery. xvi, 422 p. : ill., maps ; 21 cm. (softcover)

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Library

Acquisition

Accession

2018.004

Source or Donor

Archives/Library Purchases (2018)

Acquisition Method

Purchased

Credit Line

Restricted Book/Archives Acquisition Fund Purchase

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Book

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Search Terms

Ellison, William, 1790-, Ellison family, African Americans--South Carolina--Charleston--History, African Americans--South Carolina--Charleston--Biography, Charleston (S.C.)--Race relations, Charleston (S.C.)--History--1775-1865

Book Details

Author

Roark, James L., Johnson, Michael P., 1941-

Publisher

W.W. Norton

Place Published

Location

New York, NY

Date Published

circa 1984

Call No.

F279 .C49 N43 1984

ISBN

0393303144

LCCN

844079

Notes

Copy No.: 0

Location

Location

Building

Missroon Library

Category

Permanent

Date

February 7, 2023

Location

Building

Checked Out

Moved By

Summer 2018 Intern

Date

August 1, 2018

Notes

Notes: Rucha

General Notes

Note

Notes: By Michael P. Johnson and James L. Roark. Includes bibliographical references (p. 347-396) and index.

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

July 31, 2018

Updated By

sferguson@historiccharleston.org

Update Date

April 5, 2023