A Madman's Will
John Randolph, 400 Slaves, and the Mirage of Freedom
New York, N.Y. : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, [2023]
Format: Book
Edition: First edition.
Description: xxiii, 382 pages : illustrations, genealogical table, maps, portraits ; 24 cm
"Few legal cases in American history are as riveting as the controversy surrounding the will of Virginia Senator John Randolph (1773-1833), which--almost inexplicably--freed all 383 of his slaves in one of the largest and most publicized manumissions in American history. With this groundbreaking investigation, historian Gregory May now reveals a more surprising story, showing how madness and scandal shaped John Randolph's wildly shifting attitudes toward his slaves--and how endemic prejudice in the North ultimately deprived the freedmen of the land Randolph had promised them. Sweeping from the legal spectacle of the contested will through the freedmen's dramatic flight and horrific reception in Ohio, A Madman's Will is an extraordinary saga about the alluring promise of freedom and its tragic limitations"-- Provided by publisher
Subjects:
Randolph, John, 1773-1833 -- Will.
Randolph, John, 1773-1833 -- Estate.
Enslaved persons -- Emancipation -- Virginia.
Freed persons -- Ohio -- History.
African Americans -- Ohio -- History.
Enslaved persons -- Emancipation -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century.
Probate law and practice -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century.
Freed persons -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Ohio -- History -- 19th century.
Randolph, John, 1773-1833 -- Will.
Randolph, John, 1773-1833 -- Estate.
Enslaved persons -- Emancipation -- Virginia.
Freed persons -- Ohio -- History.
African Americans -- Ohio -- History.
Enslaved persons -- Emancipation -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century.
Probate law and practice -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century.
Freed persons -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Ohio -- History -- 19th century.
ISBN:
9781324092216
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
HISTORY North Am. US AF AM Slavery May | Cooper (Forest Acres) | Nonfiction | In |
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Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-360) and index.