RANDALL M. MILLER is Professor of History and Director of American Studies at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He is Editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine of History & Biography and the author or editor of ten books, including the award-winning Dear Master: Letters of a Slave Family (1978). His most recent book is Ethnic & Racial Images in American Film & Television (1987). His articles have appeared in American Heritage, Business History Reviews, Phylon, Southern Studies, and elsewhere.
JOHN DAVID SMITH is Associate Professor of History at North Carolina State University. His books include Window on the War: Frances Dallam Peter's Lexington Civil War Diary (co-edited with William Cooper, Jr., 1976), Black Slavery in the Americas: An Interdisciplinary Bibliography, 1865-1980 (2 vols., Greenwood Press, 1982) and An Old Creed for the New South: Proslavery Ideology and Historiography, 1865-1918 (Greenwood Press, 1985). His articles have appeared in Civil War History, The Journal of Negro History, Phylon, and numerous other scholarly journals.
"The Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery is an indispensable tool
for all students of human bondage. In going through the volume and
especially in reading the up-to-date essays on the legal, economic,
and comparative aspects of slavery, one wonders how it was ever
possible to get along without such a work."-John Hope Franklin
James B. Duke Professor Emeritus Duke University
"At the invitation of James T. Sabin of Greenwood Press, professors
Miller and Smith undertook to create this dictionary of a most
worthy historical topic. In the space of nearly 900 pages, these
two fine scholars have produced one of the most outstanding works
on the topic of Afro-American slavery to ever be published. . . .
All of the articles are well-done, but a few stand out as
exceptional. One such is the articles, Slavery in Kentucky.' by
Marion B. Lucas. . . . [T]his work is not just for the professional
historian. It is a work which is written with the general public as
well as the scholar in mind. Every library should have a copy and
anyone who is interested in the topic of Afro-American slavery
would do well to purchase it because it includes an excellent
bibliography after each entry as well as the fine articles
themselves."-Bowling Green Daily News
"It is hard to imagine better introductions to a whole variety of
complex issues, each with its own hotly contested historiographical
battlegrounds, than are provided by these authoritative, judicious
and generally well-written essays....[T]he quality of the articles
maintains an extremely high standard."-Times Literary
Supplement
"The editors, recognized authorities on the subject of slavery
(e.g., Smith's two-volume bibliography Black Slavery in the
Americas), have filled a void in the literature by producing a
magnificent reference compilation. Laboring over the past half
decade, they have brought together nearly 300 individual articles
covering the period from the first English settlement in America to
Reconstruction after the Civil War. Each article includes a
selected bibliography to lead readers to further scholarship on a
given topic. The topics selected were chosen for their importance
both to specialists and to general readers, and the articles were
produced by contributors recognized for their special expertise in
these assigned topics. Emphasis is placed on the social,
institutional, intellectual, and political aspects of slavery.
There are entries covering broad subjects as well as selected
biographies of well-known persons involved in slavery. . . . [The]
publication is so comprehensive and is sure to become a standard
academic reference work on slavery, it should be a required
purchase for academic libraries serving both undergraduate and
graduate students."-Choice
?At the invitation of James T. Sabin of Greenwood Press, professors
Miller and Smith undertook to create this dictionary of a most
worthy historical topic. In the space of nearly 900 pages, these
two fine scholars have produced one of the most outstanding works
on the topic of Afro-American slavery to ever be published. . . .
All of the articles are well-done, but a few stand out as
exceptional. One such is the articles, Slavery in Kentucky.' by
Marion B. Lucas. . . . [T]his work is not just for the professional
historian. It is a work which is written with the general public as
well as the scholar in mind. Every library should have a copy and
anyone who is interested in the topic of Afro-American slavery
would do well to purchase it because it includes an excellent
bibliography after each entry as well as the fine articles
themselves.?-Bowling Green Daily News
?Covering a wide selection of topics, terms, historical events,
legal cases, and biographies, this reference work contains more
than three hundred articles treating regional differences and
significant changes in American slavery from the first English
settlement to Reconstruction. Bibliographies are provided for most
entries. For the researcher working on African-American subjects,
this volume provides a convenient, almost comprehensive,
encyclopedia of key people and events.?-National Genealogical
Society Quarterly
?It is hard to imagine better introductions to a whole variety of
complex issues, each with its own hotly contested historiographical
battlegrounds, than are provided by these authoritative, judicious
and generally well-written essays....[T]he quality of the articles
maintains an extremely high standard.?-Times Literary
Supplement
?The editors, recognized authorities on the subject of slavery
(e.g., Smith's two-volume bibliography Black Slavery in the
Americas), have filled a void in the literature by producing a
magnificent reference compilation. Laboring over the past half
decade, they have brought together nearly 300 individual articles
covering the period from the first English settlement in America to
Reconstruction after the Civil War. Each article includes a
selected bibliography to lead readers to further scholarship on a
given topic. The topics selected were chosen for their importance
both to specialists and to general readers, and the articles were
produced by contributors recognized for their special expertise in
these assigned topics. Emphasis is placed on the social,
institutional, intellectual, and political aspects of slavery.
There are entries covering broad subjects as well as selected
biographies of well-known persons involved in slavery. . . . [The]
publication is so comprehensive and is sure to become a standard
academic reference work on slavery, it should be a required
purchase for academic libraries serving both undergraduate and
graduate students.?-Choice
?The Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery will be an enormously
valuable historical reference tool. The editors have assembled a
remarkable group of contributors to write the entries, and I was
struck over and over again as I read the individual selections with
the care, insight, and scholarly acumen the authors have brought to
their topics. I think it is safe to say that no self-respecting
reference library will want to be without this volume, and I would
predict the same for anyone seriously interested in the history of
slavery in the American South. The breadth of coverage in the
Dictionary is extraordinarily comprehensive; every topic that came
to my mind was covered and covered well, and the value of the
entries is enhanced by the excellent select bibliographies that
follow each entry. . . . This volume really will prove essential to
all of us who think the study of southern slavery is vital for
understanding the historical experience of both black and white
America.?-Charles B. Dew Professor of American Studies, Williams
College
?This is a beautifully crafted reference book. Enlisting the
talents of more that two hundred scholars, Randall Miller and John
David Smith have compiled an invaluable interpretive and factual
survey of Afro-American slavery. The list of contributors reads
like a "Who's Who" of slavery studies, and the overall quality of
the entries, of which there are nearly three hundred, is unusually
high for a volume of this kind....Unlike most reference works,
thisis a book that can be read profitably from cover to cover. No
one could come away from such a reading without appreciating the
scope and sophistication of recent scholarhip on Afro-American
slavery.?-Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
?This is a thick book crowded with fascinating data. Libraries
especially -- public, high school, and college -- should find it
the first reference for people looking into any aspect on slavery.
And yet there is enough detail for those who have already read
widely on the subject. The "almost 300 articles" provide not just
an overview of slavery, but innumerable details and a wealth of
references. Contributors are some of the most noted scholars in the
field and while the entries are inevitably of mixed quality, they
are generally excellent. . . .?-South Carolina Historical
Magazine
?This one-volume reference work seeks to provide a synthesis of the
vast scholarly literature and make it accessible to the
nonspecialist and general reader. The focus is on slavery in the
U.S. from the time of the first English settlements until
Reconstruction. . . . The essays, which range from a few paragraphs
to over five pages, are arranged alphabetically. Each is signed by
one of the over 200 contributors, primarily college professors, who
are listed in an appendix with their affiliations. The essays treat
both broad subjects, such as the slave trade, abolition, and
education, as well as more focussed topics like the underground
railroad, slavery in specific cities or states and biographies.
Maps, charts and statistical tables are included where appropriate,
for example, in the entry Economics of Slavery. The articles bring
modern findings and debates and controversial opinions into the
discussions, and each entry has a bibliography appended. The
writing styles vary, but the text is for the most part accessible.
. . . A chronology of events follows the entries . . . this is a
very valuable reference tool, synthesizing a wealth of material on
a complex subject. It is an essential addition for academic and
public libraries; secondary school libraries should consider it
too." Reference Books Bulletin "Written by a veritable who's who'
among historians of the subject (some 200 of them), the nearly 300
signed, alphabetically arranged entries to people, places, and
themes fluidly integrate narrative and interpretative history on
slavery. Excellent indexing and cross-referencing, select
bibliographies, and helpful tables, maps, and a chronology enhance
this comprehensive work, whichreflects the historiography of
slavery over the past 25 years.?-Library Journal
"Covering a wide selection of topics, terms, historical events,
legal cases, and biographies, this reference work contains more
than three hundred articles treating regional differences and
significant changes in American slavery from the first English
settlement to Reconstruction. Bibliographies are provided for most
entries. For the researcher working on African-American subjects,
this volume provides a convenient, almost comprehensive,
encyclopedia of key people and events."-National Genealogical
Society Quarterly
"The Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery will be an enormously
valuable historical reference tool. The editors have assembled a
remarkable group of contributors to write the entries, and I was
struck over and over again as I read the individual selections with
the care, insight, and scholarly acumen the authors have brought to
their topics. I think it is safe to say that no self-respecting
reference library will want to be without this volume, and I would
predict the same for anyone seriously interested in the history of
slavery in the American South. The breadth of coverage in the
Dictionary is extraordinarily comprehensive; every topic that came
to my mind was covered and covered well, and the value of the
entries is enhanced by the excellent select bibliographies that
follow each entry. . . . This volume really will prove essential to
all of us who think the study of southern slavery is vital for
understanding the historical experience of both black and white
America."-Charles B. Dew Professor of American Studies, Williams
College
"This is a beautifully crafted reference book. Enlisting the
talents of more that two hundred scholars, Randall Miller and John
David Smith have compiled an invaluable interpretive and factual
survey of Afro-American slavery. The list of contributors reads
like a "Who's Who" of slavery studies, and the overall quality of
the entries, of which there are nearly three hundred, is unusually
high for a volume of this kind....Unlike most reference works,
thisis a book that can be read profitably from cover to cover. No
one could come away from such a reading without appreciating the
scope and sophistication of recent scholarhip on Afro-American
slavery."-Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
"This is a thick book crowded with fascinating data. Libraries
especially -- public, high school, and college -- should find it
the first reference for people looking into any aspect on slavery.
And yet there is enough detail for those who have already read
widely on the subject. The "almost 300 articles" provide not just
an overview of slavery, but innumerable details and a wealth of
references. Contributors are some of the most noted scholars in the
field and while the entries are inevitably of mixed quality, they
are generally excellent. . . ."-South Carolina Historical
Magazine
"This one-volume reference work seeks to provide a synthesis of the
vast scholarly literature and make it accessible to the
nonspecialist and general reader. The focus is on slavery in the
U.S. from the time of the first English settlements until
Reconstruction. . . . The essays, which range from a few paragraphs
to over five pages, are arranged alphabetically. Each is signed by
one of the over 200 contributors, primarily college professors, who
are listed in an appendix with their affiliations. The essays treat
both broad subjects, such as the slave trade, abolition, and
education, as well as more focussed topics like the underground
railroad, slavery in specific cities or states and biographies.
Maps, charts and statistical tables are included where appropriate,
for example, in the entry Economics of Slavery. The articles bring
modern findings and debates and controversial opinions into the
discussions, and each entry has a bibliography appended. The
writing styles vary, but the text is for the most part accessible.
. . . A chronology of events follows the entries . . . this is a
very valuable reference tool, synthesizing a wealth of material on
a complex subject. It is an essential addition for academic and
public libraries; secondary school libraries should consider it
too." Reference Books Bulletin "Written by a veritable who's who'
among historians of the subject (some 200 of them), the nearly 300
signed, alphabetically arranged entries to people, places, and
themes fluidly integrate narrative and interpretative history on
slavery. Excellent indexing and cross-referencing, select
bibliographies, and helpful tables, maps, and a chronology enhance
this comprehensive work, whichreflects the historiography of
slavery over the past 25 years."-Library Journal
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