American Uprising : The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt

Breathtaking. [Rasmussens] scholarly detective work reveals a fascinating narrative of slavery and resistance, but it also tells us something about history itselfabout how fiction can become fact, and how history is sometimes nothing more than erasure. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Deeply researched, vividly written, and highly original. Eric Foner Historian Daniel Rasmussen reveals the long-forgotten history of Americas largest slave uprising, the New Orleans slave revolt of 1811. In an epic, illuminating narrative, Rasmussen offers new insight into American expansionism, the path to Civil War, and the earliest grassroots push to overcome slavery. From Publishers WeeklyThis study of a January 1811 slave uprising and march on New Orleans exhumes the deliberately obscured and "largest act of armed resistance against slavery in the history of the United States." Historian Rasmussen expands on scarce source material to provide a complex context for a revolt that dwarfed such better-known rebellions as Nat Turner's and Denmark Vesey's, a stealthily organized uprising of 500 armed slaves dressed in military uniforms marching on and trying to conquer New Orleans. The author ties together diverse political, economic, and cultural threads in describing the rise (and brutal suppression) of the "ethnically diverse, politically astute, and highly organized" army, and investigates why this "story more Braveheart than Beloved" was consigned to historical footnote. While the book's ambition occasionally exceeds its grasp, it vividly evokes the atmosphere of New Orleans of the early 19th century and how a recalcitrant, French-rooted Louisiana and some Spanish possessions in the Deep South were incorporated into the expanding American nation though brutal revenge justice and political pressures. (Jan.) (c) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistWhen Americans think of slave rebellions, Nat Turner and John Brown come to mind, but the largest armed resistance to slavery in U.S. history was commanded by Kook, Quamana, Harry Kenner, and Charles Deslondes. The four led an army of several hundred slaves in 1811 to revolt against plantation masters and to march on New Orleans. Historian Rasmussen details the political climate of the time, including French sugar plantation owners destabilized by efforts of the U.S. government to Americanize the region, threats from nearby Spanish-held territories, and the recent slave revolts in Haiti, 6,000 miles away. The slaves were emboldened by Haiti and aided by a cosmopolitan mix of ethnic groupsAfricans, Native Americans, people of mixed race, slaves, and Maroonswho enjoyed fairly free movement around the area. Rasmussen details the history and politics of the region, the revolt itself, and the vengeful reprisals that followed, including efforts to rewrite the history of the revolt. Readers will appreciate not just the historic recollection of the attempt to overcome the oppression of slavery but also the more recent developments that have recovered it from obscurity. --Vanessa Bush The Author, A Historian Reveals The Long Forgotten History Of America's Largest Slave Uprising, The New Orleans Slave Revolt Of 1811 That Nearly Toppled New Orleans And Changed The Course Of American History. In This Narrative, He Offers New Insight Into American Expansionism, The Path To Civil War, And The Earliest Grassroots Push To Overcome Slavery. Five Hundred Slaves, Dressed In Military Uniforms And Armed With Guns, Cane Knives, And Axes, Rose Up From The Plantations Around New Orleans And Set Out To Conquer The City. Ethnically Diverse, Politically Astute, And Highly Organized, This Self Made Army Challenged Not Only The Economic System Of Plantation Agriculture But Also American Expansion. Their March Represented The Largest Act Of Armed Resistance Against Slavery In The History Of The United States. The Work Is The Story Of This Elaborate Plot, The Rebel Army's Dramatic March On The City, And Its Shocking Conclusion. No North American Slave Uprising, Not Gabriel Prosser's, Not Denmark Vesey's, Not Nat Turner's, Has Rivaled The Scale Of This Rebellion Either In Terms Of The Number Of The Slaves Involved Or The Number Who Were Killed. More Than One Hundred Slaves Were Slaughtered By Federal Troops And French Planters, Who Then Sought To Write The Event Out Of History And Prevent The Spread Of The Slaves' Revolutionary Philosophy. With The Haitian Revolution A Recent Memory And The War Of 1812 Looming On The Horizon, The Revolt Had Epic Consequences For America. Through Original Research, The Author Offers A Window Into The Young, Expansionist Country, Illuminating The Early History Of New Orleans And Providing New Insight Into The Path To The Civil War And The Slave Revolutionaries Who Fought And Died For Justice And The Hope Of Freedom. Carnival In New Orleans -- Paths To Slavery -- A Revolutionary Forge -- Empire's Emissary -- Conquering The Frontier -- Masks And Motives -- The Rebels' Pact -- Revolt -- A City In Chaos -- A Second Wind -- The Battle -- Heads On Poles -- Friends Of Necessity -- Statehood And The Young American Nation -- The Slaves Win Their Freedom -- The Cover-up. Daniel Rasmussen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [223]-264) And Index. “A chilling and suspenseful account [of] the culmination of a signal episode in the history of American race relations.” —Adam Goodheart, The New York Times Book Review In January 1811, five hundred slaves, dressed in military uniforms and armed with guns, cane knives, and axes, rose up from the plantations around New Orleans and set out to conquer the city. Ethnically diverse, politically astute, and highly organized, this self-made army challenged not only the economic system of plantation agriculture but also American expansion. Their march represented the largest act of armed resistance against slavery in the history of the United States. American Uprising is the riveting, long-neglected story of the rebel army's dramatic march on the city, and its shocking conclusion. No North American slave uprising—not Gabriel Prosser's, not Denmark Vesey's, not Nat Turner's—has rivaled the scale of this rebellion either in terms of the number of the slaves involved or the number who were killed. More than one hundred slaves were slaughtered by federal troops and French planters, who then sought to write the event out of history and prevent the spread of the slaves'revolutionary philosophy. Through groundbreaking research, Daniel Rasmussen offers a window into expansionist America, illuminating the early history of New Orleans and providing new insight into the path to the Civil War and the slave revolutionaries who fought and died for the hope of freedom. “Crisp, confident... Rasmussen tells this story with verve.” —John Stauffer, The Wall Street Journal “Breathtaking.... [A] fascinating narrative of slavery and resistance [that] tells us something about history itself—about how fiction can become fact, and how ‘history'is sometimes nothing more than erasure.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr. A gripping and deeply revealing history of an infamous slave rebellion that nearly toppled New Orleans and changed the course of American history In January 1811, five hundred slaves, dressed in military uniforms and armed with guns, cane knives, and axes, rose up from the plantations around New Orleans and set out to conquer the city. Ethnically diverse, politically astute, and highly organized, this self-made army challenged not only the economic system of plantation agriculture but also American expansion. Their march represented the largest act of armed resistance against slavery in the history of the United States. American Uprising is the riveting and long-neglected story of this elaborate plot, the rebel army's dramatic march on the city, and its shocking conclusion. No North American slave uprising—not Gabriel Prosser's, not Denmark Vesey's, not Nat Turner's—has rivaled the scale of this rebellion either in terms of the number of the slaves involved or the number who were killed. More than one hundred slaves were slaughtered by federal troops and French planters, who then sought to write the event out of history and prevent the spread of the slaves' revolutionary philosophy. With the Haitian revolution a recent memory and the War of 1812 looming on the horizon, the revolt had epic consequences for America. Through groundbreaking original research, Daniel Rasmussen offers a window into the young, expansionist country, illuminating the early history of New Orleans and providing new insight into the path to the Civil War and the slave revolutionaries who fought and died for justice and the hope of freedom. Daniel Rasmussen wrote this material as part of a senior project at Harvard where he discovered written accounts of the violent uprising of five-hundred slaves near New Orleans in 1811. The result is unbalanced. By compiling written contemporary reports and oral traditions, he compiled a narrative of the events that, not surprisingly, starts with the assumption that all Louisiana whites were and continue to be wicked and all United States government actions prior to 1865 were imperialistic and illegal. Slavery, of course, was wrong and needed correction. But Rasmussen's coverage of the events promised in the book title comprise only a relatively small portion of the work. The rest, especially the conclusion, is a standard litany of socialistic themes and rationalizations. Interestingly, he claims in his acknowledgements that a friend helped him 'tone down my polemical tendencies.' Needed more toning down. Reviewed by J.David Knepper