Drawing on the federal census, wills, mortgage bills of sale, tax returns, and newspaper advertisements, this authoritative study describes the nature of African-American slaveholding, its complexity, and its rationales. It reveals how some African-American slave masters had earned their freedom and how some free Blacks purchased slaves for their own use. The book provides a fresh perspective on slavery in the antebellum South and underscores the importance of African Americans in the history of American slavery.

The book also paints a picture of the complex social dynamics between free and enslaved Blacks, and between Black and white slaveowners. It illuminates the motivations behind African-American slaveholding--including attempts to create or maintain independence, to accumulate wealth, and to protect family members--and sheds light on the harsh realities of slavery for both Black masters and Black slaves.

• BLACK SLAVEOWNERS--Shows how some African Americans became slave masters

• MOTIVATIONS FOR SLAVEHOLDING--Highlights the motivations behind African-American slaveholding

• SOCIAL DYNAMICS--Sheds light on the complex social dynamics between free and enslaved Blacks

• ANTE-BELLUM SOUTH--Provides a perspective on slavery in the antebellum South