Analytical Evaluation of Gary Nash's Race and Revolution

Analytical Evaluation of Gary Nash’s Race and Revolution

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Analytical Evaluation of Gary Nash’s Race and Revolution

Introduction

Gary Nash is a well known and a well-educated historian. He received his undergraduate and doctoral degrees from PrincetonUniversity. He has held various positions at Princeton and at the University of California Los Angeles. He has worked at the NationalCenter for History in the Schools as a director, and as the president at the Organization of American Historians. He has authored, edited and co authored many books, and has written many articles, reviews, and essays. Some of his books include “Red, White and Black: The Peoples of Early America”, “The Private Side of American History: Readings in Everyday Life”, and “Race Class and Politics: Essays on American Colonial and Revolutionary Society” among others. He is deeply versed in American history, which he has studied from the perspectives of different races and nationalities in America.

Summary

Nash examines the failure of the institutions to abolish slavery in America. He looks at how the African American community suffered in the hands of white Americans. He examines the hypocrisy and the reluctance of the north and south to free the slaves. Unlike other books and historical texts, Nash lays the blame on the leaders and people in the northern states and the founding fathers, who held the power and authority to grant the slaves their freedom. He observes that this reluctance led to the firm established of slavery, which he refers to a peculiar institution. He dissuades the notion that white Americans kept slaves because it was the common thing to do, and it was an accepted institution. He also rejects the idea that the slaves were ignorant, and they did not know better concerning their situation. The white Americans, including the founding fathers, protected or ignored the practice of slavery, and this strengthened it more. The founding fathers failed to deal with the issue of racism, particularly concerning the blacks, and they left the future generations to deal with it.

The author is not against the founding fathers, and does not blame them for all that happened, but he notes that their accomplishments are shadowed and tainted by their failure to abolish slavery. He observes that although the leaders knew that they were going against the principles of equality and freedom, which they had advocated and fought for, they continued to tolerate slavery because they would go against the wishes of many of the white Americans if they did not do so. It was hard for the founding fathers to abolish slavery, while at the same time they were trying to please the people, especially those who supported slavery. Nash also looks at the events that led to the formation of the constitution, and notes the factors that led to its formation. He examines how the basic laws were formed and how their influenced the formation of the constitution. Nash looks at how the free blacks struggled to attain justice. He writes of how the blacks fought hard, and this eventually led to the civil war, where more people lost their lives trying to end slavery. He notes that despite the suffering and the hostility that the black community endured, the people were able to overcome this and they succeeded. The author illustrates the dilemma that the people, especially the leaders, faced when trying to build a new nation.

Review

The major topics in the book are the issue of slavery, the role of the founding fathers and the north to end slavery, and the struggle of both free and slave blacks to fight for justice. The author has organized the book in a format that is easy to follow. He has started by examining the conditions that the Africans were living in while in America. He has noted their views of slavery, as well as the views of other Americans who did not favor slavery, especially during the revolution. He then examines the reason why some people were compelled to fight against slavery. He looks at the major reasons that motivated the blacks, slave owners, and abolitionists to fight for the end of slavery. He then proceeds to note the dilemma, which faced the leaders concerning the issue of slavery abolition. He observes how the leaders made decisions that were sometimes not wise concerning slavery. He notes the struggles that the black community faced when fighting for justice, and the challenges they had to endure. The author concludes by observing that contrary to what is usually propagated, the issue of racism was not a regional issue, but it was a national issue, which was practiced by both northern and southern states.

The author uses many materials from different sources to back his claims and support his thesis. He uses historical material that dates as far as the eighteenth century. He has included letters, articles, press notices, columns, sermons, pamphlets, and books. For most of his sources, he has used primary sources, and he has not relied heavily on secondary sources. Some of the materials from the eighteenth century include “Address on Slavery” by Arthur Lee, “A Dialogue Concerning the Slavery of the Africans” by Samuel Hopkins, “Pennsylvania Abolition Act”, and “Virginia Manumission Law” among others. Some of the materials from early nineteenth century include “A Letter to a Member of the General Assembly” by George Tucker, “Letters from a Man of Colour” by James Forten, and “An Oration on the Abolition of the Slave Trade” by George Lawrence among others.

The book is important and relevant to the course readings. The student is exposed to different parts of history, which are not replicated in other history books. In many cases, many history books cover the same content, and it is rare to see an author who does not mind being controversial. For instance, it is not common to hear or read a history textbook where the author says that the founding fathers were partially responsible for the spread and establishment of slavery in the country. The book exposes the students to different perspectives, which they would not have known had they not read the book, and it causes them to think of the events that transpired at the time. This is also the main purpose for the author to write the book, as he wants the students and other readers to understand why the leaders, politicians and the founding fathers did not deal with the issue of slavery when they had a chance to do so.

The author examines the topic of slavery at length. He notes that slavery was one of the major reasons why the states had prospered economically. This made it more difficult for the leaders to abolish the practice without an alternate plan. The leaders and the people who supported slavery debated the issue of slavery on financial grounds. Abolishing slavery at the time the constitution was framed would lead some of the states fragile, because they depended on the slaves to do all the work in the fields. However, the leaders realized that they could not encourage the continuation of slavery, especially after the constitution had been passed because the constitution guaranteed that everyone was equal in the eyes of the law. The founding father had founded the nation under republican perspective, and this meant that they had to abolish human slavery. The founding fathers were Christians, and they applied Christian principles when governing. They knew that God did not encourage slavery, and that he could see their hypocrisy. They were fighting to be independent, while they were enslaving others.

When the people had succeeded in forming the nation, they were adamant concerning the issue of democracy, freedom, and equality. They got rid of some of the rules passed by the monarchy, which held the people down. They did not want to live in bondage, but they wanted free will. This was especially seen in the government. The people wanted to have their opinion heard in the way they selected the leaders who would represent them in government. The leaders and the people had fought hard to ensure that they were granted this freedom. Unfortunately, they did not find as hard to end slavery. They had accepted the institution of slavery, and like any other institution that has the support of the leaders and the people, it continued to thrive. Although they talked about the importance of releasing the slaves, their actions did not reflect this, and this ensured that slavery continued.

Many historians do not mention the role of the founding fathers in the continuation of slavery. Most of them choose to highlight their accomplishments, and sometimes they talk about the personal weaknesses of the leaders. They avoid the topic of slavery, as this has remained a sensitive topic since the people began fighting it. The founding fathers were not naïve on the issue of slavery. Contrary to what is usually presented, they had the knowledge of the torture and the inhumanity that the slaves suffered. Nash notes than none of the founding fathers or the prominent leaders put much effort in ending slavery. He takes the often less traveled road in the discussion of slavery, and blames the northern leaders for the continuation of slavery in America. He notes that their decision to compensate the southern states meant that the states had no option but to continue with the practice. The southern states would end up loosing more, if slavery was abolished, because the slaves were the main economic force in the region. If the northern leaders wanted to end slavery in the southern states, they had to compensate them. People who had slaves in the southern states considered them their legal property, because they had purchased them. The slave owners reasoned that no one, including the government, had the right to take another person’s property.

Many people have the mentality that black slaves did not understand or know any better concerning slavery. This has usually been propagated by many historians who have often failed to mention the black voices that prevailed at the time concerning slavery. Nash dismisses this view, and proves that the slaves were aware of the need to be treated with more dignity. They were, after all, the ones who were treated inhumanely. Nash recounts the stories of many freed and enslaved slaves who planned to help other slaves escape from their masters. The slaves knew that their plans would most likely fail but this did not discourage them. Many of them suffered because of this, and some were killed when their masters learnt of their plans to escape. The slaves faced many challenges and limitations, and most of these challenges were imposed on them by the white people because they feared their success. For instance, they were not allowed to get an education. Black slaves who had managed to learn how to read and write had managed to defy the norms at the time, and they were now speaking for the freedom and the rights of the slaves. They were urging the slaves to speak up and fight for their rights. Some of them had managed to escape, while others had managed to lead successful rebellions. For every step that the black slaves made forward, they seemed to make more steps backwards, such that they never progressed whenever they wanted to do so.

People have a tendency to assume that there was no racism in America, in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, or that it was not practiced by many people. Nash shows that this belief is a misconception, and that the colonialists and other leaders were well aware of the atrocities that were committed against the black people in America. Slavery was a form of racism, but most of the white people had become so accustomed to it, that they did not see anything wrong with it. The slaves were treated harshly, and they were tortured. In many cases, they were not seen as human beings, and they were meant to work in the fields. The black people wanted freedom, and that included the freedom to do things their own way, and maintaining their culture. They found ways of adapting to the discrimination they suffered in the north, and as Nash observes, they were able to do this by establishing their own institutions. They established successful institutions such as black churches, which had their own rules. The churches maintained the black identity and this preserved the culture. They served as meeting places, where people were reminded of their cause and their fight for justice. They helped keep the fight for justice and equality alive. The whites recognized that black people had a lot of power when they converged, and they wanted to limit this power. After the blacks led a successful rebellion, the whites passed laws that were more restrictive on them. They banned education for the blacks, and they denied them the chance to assemble. They even required the presence of a white minister in the black churches. The measures were extreme, and they illustrated how afraid the white people were of black empowerment and freedom. Despite the enforcement of the ban, many blacks learned how to read and write in secret. They found ways to assemble and hold gatherings in secret.

Conclusion

The author has expressed his conclusions in a clear manner. From the book, it is clear that the author believes in what he has written. He is adamant that had the northern leaders and the founding fathers taken an active role, and had they been more determined in ending slavery, them the issue what not have progressed to the extent that it did. Different economical, political, and individual factors influenced and shaped history during this time. The book conflicts with most historical texts, especially on the issue of slavery. Many texts state that the southern states were the main hindrance in ending slavery, but the book proves that this is not the case. The book is enjoyable and interesting to read. The author has written in a clear language, which is free from technical words, making the text easy to read and understand. He has included the texts of the primary materials he has used in his work, and a biographical record of the materials he has used. The book has benefited me because I am now able to understand history in a clearer way. I now understand why the civil rights wars had to happen, and why the African Americans have fought to attain their independence, and realize their rights and freedom. This book would be useful to all Americans because it would help them understand their country’s history. The author has used credible materials, and he has studied history. This has enhanced his credibility in the subject. The book should be made a mandatory text in schools, as this would remove the distortions that are normally present in some historical texts, and it would enhance the student’s perceptions.

Reference:

Nash, B. G. (1990). Race and revolution. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.