Click for full-size.
Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves
by Hochschild, Adam
- Used
- very good
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 0618619070
- ISBN 13
- 9780618619078
- Seller
-
Webster, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Boston/New York: Mariner / Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. 1st Printing. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 6x1x9. First printing. Pages toned. 2006 Trade Paperback. viii, 468 pp. Hochschild's history of British abolitionism notes that ending slavery would have seemed as unlikely in eighteenth-century England as banning automobiles does today. Despite the "latent feeling" among intellectuals that slavery was barbarous, Caribbean sugar plantations were seen as a necessary part of the economy. Prefiguring many social movements to come, the anti-slavery crusade was driven by the partnership between a committed activist, Thomas Clarkson, and a connected politician, William Wilberforce. It was Clarkson and his Quaker associates who pioneered the use of petitions, eyewitness accounts, and even an early, innocent form of direct-mail solicitation. Hochschild argues that the violent techniques of naval press gangs primed England's populace to consider the plight of the slaves. His capacious narrative is both disturbing and fascinating, and not without its ironies: when Parliament finally did abolish slavery, in 1833, plantation owners were generously compensated for their loss of "property.
Synopsis
From the author of the prize-winning King Leopold's Ghost comes a taut, thrilling account of the first grass-roots human rights campaign, which freed hundreds of thousands of slaves around the world. In 1787, twelve men gathered in a London printing shop to pursue a seemingly impossible goal: ending slavery in the largest empire on earth. Along the way, they would pioneer most of the tools citizen activists still rely on today, from wall posters and mass mailings to boycotts and lapel pins. This talented group combined a hatred of injustice with uncanny skill in promoting their cause. Within five years, more than 300,000 Britons were refusing to eat the chief slave-grown product, sugar; London's smart set was sporting antislavery badges created by Josiah Wedgwood; and the House of Commons had passed the first law banning the slave trade. However, the House of Lords, where slavery backers were more powerful, voted down the bill. But the crusade refused to die, fueled by remarkable figures like Olaudah Equiano, a brilliant ex-slave who enthralled audiences throughout the British Isles; John Newton, the former slave ship captain who wrote "Amazing Grace"; Granville Sharp, an eccentric musician and self-taught lawyer; and Thomas Clarkson, a fiery organizer who repeatedly crisscrossed Britain on horseback, devoting his life to the cause. He and his fellow activists brought slavery in the British Empire to an end in the 1830s, long before it died in the United States. The only survivor of the printing shop meeting half a century earlier, Clarkson lived to see the day when a slave whip and chains were formally buried in a Jamaican churchyard. Like Hochschild's classic King Leopold's Ghost, Bury the Chains abounds in atmosphere, high drama, and nuanced portraits of unsung heroes and colorful villains. Again Hochschild gives a little-celebrated historical watershed its due at last.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Yesterday's Muse Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 2339237
- Title
- Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves
- Author
- Hochschild, Adam
- Format/Binding
- Trade Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- 1st Printing
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 0618619070
- ISBN 13
- 9780618619078
- Publisher
- Mariner / Houghton Mifflin Company
- Place of Publication
- Boston/New York
- Date Published
- 2006
- Size
- 6x1x9
- Keywords
- AMERICAN HISTORY SLAVERY CIVIL WAR UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SLAVES RACE RACISM SOCIOLOGY AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES BLACK STUDIES CULTURAL STUDIES
- X weight
- 22 oz
Terms of Sale
Yesterday's Muse Books
Unless alternate arrangements have been made, payment is expected at the time of purchase. We accept payment by credit card, PayPal, check, or money order. All orders are shipped promptly and securely packed in boxes to avoid damage during shipment.
Shipping costs stated are estimates. Large sets or particularly heavy items may require additional postage, especially for priority or international service.
All items are guaranteed to be as described (this includes condition, edition, authenticity of signatures, etc.). If you are not satisfied with your order, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.
About the Seller
Yesterday's Muse Books
Biblio member since 2005
Webster, New York
About Yesterday's Muse Books
Yesterday's Muse Inc. is an independent used & rare bookseller that has been in operation for over 15 years. We opened our first 'brick and mortar' storefront in December of 2008 in our hometown of Webster, NY.Owner Jonathan Smalter is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), former vice president of the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA), both of which are trade organizations created to promote ethical online selling practices, and to encourage continuing education among fellow booksellers. He is also a 2011 graduate of the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS). He has nearly 20 years of experience in the book trade, during which time he has become adept at evaluating used and collectible books.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Trade Paperback
- Used to indicate any paperback book that is larger than a mass-market paperback and is often more similar in size to a hardcover...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
How to tell if a signature is genuine
Author's signatures can undoubtedly increase the value of a rare book or first edition. The more scarce the book is, the more an autograph adds to its value. But how to tell if the signature is real? Find out how you can avoid common pitfalls in identifying an author's signature.
Collecting Disneyana
Welcome to the wonderful world of collecting Walt Disney! From letters signed by Disney himself to classic children’s books or ephemera, be sure to check out some of the collectible Walt Disney books on Biblio!
