Contesting Slave Masculinity in the American South (Cambridge Studies on the American South)

Contesting Slave Masculinity In The American South Demonstrates The Significance Of Internal Divisions, Comparison, And Conflict In Shaping Gender And Status In Slave Communities Of The American South. David Stefan Doddington Seeks To Move Beyond Unilateral Discussions Of Slave Masculinity, And Instead Demonstrates How The Repressions Of Slavery Were Both Personal And Political. Rather Than Automatically Support One Another Against An Emasculatory White Society, Doddington Explores How Enslaved People Negotiated Identities In Relation To One Another, Through Comparisons Between Men And Different Forms Of Manhood Held Up For Judgment. An Examination Of The Framework In Which Enslaved People Crafted Identities Demonstrates The Fluidity Of Gender As A Social And Cultural Phenomenon That Defied Monolithic Models Of Black Masculinity, Solidarity, And Victimization. Focusing On Work, Authority, Honor, Sex, Leisure, And Violence, This Book Is A Full-length Treatment Of The Idea Of 'masculinity' Among Slave Communities Of The Old South-- Introduction: Are You Men? -- 1. If I Had My Life To Live Over, I Would Die Fighting Rather Than Be A Slave Again: Resistance, Manhood, And Survival In Slavery -- 2. The Best Amongst Them Was Picked For That Job: Authority, Discipline, And Masculinity -- 3. I Never Seen Such A Worker As My Father: Work, Industry, And Masculinity -- 4. He Am Big And 'cause He So He Think Everybody Do What Him Say: Manhood, Sex, And Power -- 5. The Best Man Whipped And The Other One Took It: Violence, Leisure, And Masculinity -- Conclusion: Contesting Slave Masculinity. David Stefan Doddington. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 217-238) And Index. Contesting Slave Masculinity in the American South demonstrates the significance of internal divisions, comparison, and conflict in shaping gender and status in slave communities of the American South. David Stefan Doddington seeks to move beyond unilateral discussions of slave masculinity, and instead demonstrates how the repressions of slavery were both personal and political. Rather than automatically support one another against an emasculatory white society, Doddington explores how enslaved people negotiated identities in relation to one another, through comparisons between men and different forms of manhood held up for judgment. An examination of the framework in which enslaved people crafted identities demonstrates the fluidity of gender as a social and cultural phenomenon that defied monolithic models of black masculinity, solidarity, and victimization. Focusing on work, authority, honor, sex, leisure, and violence, this book is a full-length treatment of the idea of 'masculinity' among slave communities of the Old South--,At the National Negro Convention of 1843, held in Buffalo, New York, Henry Highland Garnet delivered his controversial appeal to the slaves of the United States-- "Contesting Slave Masculinity in the American South demonstrates the significance of internal divisions, comparison, and conflict in shaping gender and status in slave communities of the American South. David Stefan Doddington seeks to move beyond unilateral discussions of slave masculinity, and instead demonstrates how the repressions of slavery were both personal and political. Rather than automatically support one another against an emasculatory white society, Doddington explores how enslaved people negotiated identities in relation to one another, through comparisons between men and different forms of manhood held up for judgment. An examination of the framework in which enslaved people crafted identities demonstrates the fluidity of gender as a social and cultural phenomenon that defied monolithic models of black masculinity, solidarity, and victimization. Focusing on work, authority, honor, sex, leisure, and violence, this book is a full-length treatment of the idea of 'masculinity' among slave communities of the Old South"-- Provided by publisher Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series information......Page 5 Title page......Page 7 Copyright information......Page 8 Table of contents......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Introduction: ''Are you men?''......Page 15 1 ''If I had my life to live over, I would die fighting rather than be a slave again'': Resistance, Manhood, and Survival in Slavery......Page 34 2 ''The best amongst them was picked for that job'': Authority, Discipline, and Masculinity......Page 63 3 ''I never seen such a worker as my father'': Work, Industry, and Masculinity......Page 103 4 ''He am big and 'cause he so he think everybody do what him say'': Manhood, Sex, and Power......Page 141 5 ''The best man whipped and the other one took it'': Violence, Leisure, and Masculinity......Page 185 Conclusion: Contesting Slave Masculinity......Page 225 Library of Virginia......Page 231 Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill......Page 232 Published Primary Sources......Page 233 Secondary Sources......Page 238 Index......Page 253 Challenges historical models of black solidarity and reveals how resistance, accommodation, and survival in slavery was shaped by gender, as well as how gendered values were embedded in the structures of enslavement. For students and scholars of American history with interest in slavery, gender, and race. Highlights competing masculine values in slave communities and reveals how masculinity shaped resistance, accommodation, and survival