About the book
In eighteenth-century New Orleans, the legal testimony of some 150 enslaved women and men — like the testimony of free colonists — was meticulously recorded and preserved. Questioned in criminal trials as defendants, victims, and witnesses about attacks, murders, robberies, and escapes, they answered with stories about themselves, stories that rebutted the premise on which slavery was founded.
Focusing on four especially dramatic court cases, Voices of the Enslaved draws us into Louisiana’s courtrooms, prisons, courtyards, plantations, bayous, and convents to understand how the enslaved viewed and experienced their worlds. As they testified, these individuals charted their movement between West African, indigenous, and colonial cultures; they pronounced their moral and religious values; and they registered their responses to labor, to violence, and, above all, to the intimate romantic and familial bonds they sought to create and protect. Their words — punctuated by the cadences of Creole and rich with metaphor — produced riveting autobiographical narratives as they veered from the questions posed by interrogators.
Carefully assessing what we can discover, what we might guess, and what has been lost forever, Sophie White offers both a richly textured account of slavery in French Louisiana and a powerful meditation on the limits and possibilities of the archive.
Editions of Voices of the Enslaved
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469654041
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469666266
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469654065
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890859433
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469654058
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890859426
Read an Excerpt
In eighteenth-century New Orleans, the legal testimony of some 150 enslaved women and men — like the testimony of free colonists — was meticulously recorded and preserved. Questioned in criminal trials as defendants, victims, and witnesses about attacks, murders, robberies, and escapes, they answered with stories about themselves, stories that rebutted the premise on which slavery was founded.
Focusing on four especially dramatic court cases, Voices of the Enslaved draws us into Louisiana’s courtrooms, prisons, courtyards, plantations, bayous, and convents to understand how the enslaved viewed and experienced their worlds. As they testified, these individuals charted their movement between West African, indigenous, and colonial cultures; they pronounced their moral and religious values; and they registered their responses to labor, to violence, and, above all, to the intimate romantic and familial bonds they sought to create and protect. Their words — punctuated by the cadences of Creole and rich with metaphor — produced riveting autobiographical narratives as they veered from the questions posed by interrogators.
Carefully assessing what we can discover, what we might guess, and what has been lost forever, Sophie White offers both a richly textured account of slavery in French Louisiana and a powerful meditation on the limits and possibilities of the archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Voices of the Enslaved about?
In eighteenth-century New Orleans, the legal testimony of some 150 enslaved women and men — like the testimony of free colonists — was meticulously recorded and preserved. Questioned in criminal trials as defendants, victims, and witnesses about attacks, murders, robberies, and escapes, they answered with stories about themselves, stories that rebutted the premise on which slavery was founded.
Focusing on four especially dramatic court cases, Voices of the Enslaved draws us into Louisiana’s courtrooms, prisons, courtyards, plantations, bayous, and convents to understand how the enslaved viewed and experienced their worlds. As they testified, these individuals charted their movement between West African, indigenous, and colonial cultures; they pronounced their moral and religious values; and they registered their responses to labor, to violence, and, above all, to the intimate romantic and familial bonds they sought to create and protect. Their words — punctuated by the cadences of Creole and rich with metaphor — produced riveting autobiographical narratives as they veered from the questions posed by interrogators.
Carefully assessing what we can discover, what we might guess, and what has been lost forever, Sophie White offers both a richly textured account of slavery in French Louisiana and a powerful meditation on the limits and possibilities of the archive.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Voices of the Enslaved?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Voices of the Enslaved?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469654041
How long is Voices of the Enslaved and how many pages does it have?
Voices of the Enslaved has 352 page(s)
Is Voices of the Enslaved part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the University of North Carolina Press
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Voices of the Enslaved?
Sophie White
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Voices of the Enslaved is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469654041) and paperback(ISBN 9781469666266) and ebook(ISBN 9781469654065) and ebook(ISBN 9798890859433) and ebook(ISBN 9781469654058) and pdf(ISBN 9798890859426)
Where can I buy Voices of the Enslaved online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Voices of the Enslaved from below
Where can I buy Voices of the Enslaved?