About the book
By the 1840s, many Americans recognized that the institution of slavery was destroying Southern landscapes while threatening to expand into the West. An increasing number of white Northerners believed that surrounding areas where slavery was legal with so-called free soil would hasten its collapse and forestall an environmental crisis. James S. Finley addresses this understudied intersection of US antislavery and environmental politics in the two decades before the Civil War, arguing that the debate over free soil—what it should look like and who should have access to this land—was an underrecognized precursor of modern American environmentalist movements.
Through the work of a group of Black writers and thinkers, the Free-Soil movement’s white supremacist underpinnings were challenged by an ecosocial vision that centered democratic communities and sustainable labor. By analyzing the output of authors who advocated for truly free soil, such as Frederick Douglass and Henry Highland Garnet, Finley finds commonalities in their attempts to reenvision communal relations between individuals and the land with contemporary movements for racial and environmental justice.
Editions of Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469694290
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469694306
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469688237
- PDF
- ISBN 9781469694313
Read an Excerpt
By the 1840s, many Americans recognized that the institution of slavery was destroying Southern landscapes while threatening to expand into the West. An increasing number of white Northerners believed that surrounding areas where slavery was legal with so-called free soil would hasten its collapse and forestall an environmental crisis. James S. Finley addresses this understudied intersection of US antislavery and environmental politics in the two decades before the Civil War, arguing that the debate over free soil—what it should look like and who should have access to this land—was an underrecognized precursor of modern American environmentalist movements.
Through the work of a group of Black writers and thinkers, the Free-Soil movement’s white supremacist underpinnings were challenged by an ecosocial vision that centered democratic communities and sustainable labor. By analyzing the output of authors who advocated for truly free soil, such as Frederick Douglass and Henry Highland Garnet, Finley finds commonalities in their attempts to reenvision communal relations between individuals and the land with contemporary movements for racial and environmental justice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism about?
By the 1840s, many Americans recognized that the institution of slavery was destroying Southern landscapes while threatening to expand into the West. An increasing number of white Northerners believed that surrounding areas where slavery was legal with so-called free soil would hasten its collapse and forestall an environmental crisis. James S. Finley addresses this understudied intersection of US antislavery and environmental politics in the two decades before the Civil War, arguing that the debate over free soil—what it should look like and who should have access to this land—was an underrecognized precursor of modern American environmentalist movements.
Through the work of a group of Black writers and thinkers, the Free-Soil movement’s white supremacist underpinnings were challenged by an ecosocial vision that centered democratic communities and sustainable labor. By analyzing the output of authors who advocated for truly free soil, such as Frederick Douglass and Henry Highland Garnet, Finley finds commonalities in their attempts to reenvision communal relations between individuals and the land with contemporary movements for racial and environmental justice.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Literature: history and criticism
Where can I read a sample of Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469694290
How long is Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism and how many pages does it have?
Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism has 238 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism?
James S. Finley
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469694290) and paperback(ISBN 9781469694306) and ebook(ISBN 9781469688237) and pdf(ISBN 9781469694313)
Where can I buy Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism from below
Where can I buy Abolition and the Rise of US Environmentalism?