Liberty's chain : slavery, abolition, and the Jay family of New York

In Liberty's Chain , David N. Gellman shows how the Jay family, abolitionists and slaveholders alike, embodied the contradictions of the revolutionary age. The Jays of New York were a preeminent founding family. John Jay, diplomat, Supreme Court justice, and co-author of the Federalist Papers, and his children and grandchildren helped chart the course of the Early American Republic. Liberty's Chain forges a new path for thinking about slavery and the nation's founding. John Jay served as the inaugural president of a pioneering antislavery societies. His descendants, especially his son William Jay and his grandson John Jay II, embraced radical abolitionism in the nineteenth century, the cause most likely to rend the nation. The scorn of their elite peers—and racist mobs—did not deter their commitment to end southern slavery and to combat northern injustice. John Jay's personal dealings with African Americans ranged from callousness to caring. Across the generations, even as prominent Jays decried human servitude, enslaved people and formerly enslaved people served in Jay households. Abbe, Clarinda, Caesar Valentine, Zilpah Montgomery, and others lived difficult, often isolated lives, that tested their courage and the Jay family's principles. The personal and the political intersect in this saga, as Gellman charts American values transmitted and transformed from the colonial and revolutionary eras to the Civil War, Reconstruction, and beyond. The Jays, as well as those who served them, demonstrated the elusiveness and the vitality of liberty's legacy. This remarkable family story forces us to grapple with what we mean by patriotism, conservatism, and radicalism. Their story speaks directly to our own divided times.

In Liberty's Chain, David N. Gellman shows how the Jay family, abolitionistsand slaveholders alike, embodied the contradictions of therevolutionary age. The Jays of New York were a preeminentfounding family. John Jay, diplomat, Supreme Court justice, andcoauthor of the Federalist Papers, and his children andgrandchildren helped chart the course of the Early AmericanRepublic. Liberty's Chain forges a new path for thinkingabout slavery and the nation's founding. John Jay served as theinaugural president of a pioneering antislavery society. Hisdescendants, especially his son William Jay and his grandson JohnJay II, embraced radical abolitionism in the nineteenth century,the cause most likely to rend the nation. The scorn of their elitepeers-and racist mobs-did not deter their commitment to endsouthern slavery and to combat northern injustice. John Jay'spersonal dealings with African Americans ranged from callousness tocaring. Across the generations, even as prominent Jays decriedhuman servitude, enslaved people and formerly enslaved peopleserved in Jay households. Abbe, Clarinda, Caesar Valentine, ZilpahMontgomery, and others lived difficult, often isolated, lives thattested their courage and the Jay family's principles.

The personal and the political intersect in this saga, asGellman charts American values transmitted and transformed from thecolonial and revolutionary eras to the Civil War, Reconstruction,and beyond. The Jays, as well as those who served them,demonstrated the elusiveness and the vitality of liberty's legacy.This remarkable family story forces us to grapple with what we meanby patriotism, conservatism, and radicalism. Their story speaksdirectly to our own divided times.

In Liberty's Chain , David N. Gellman shows how the Jay family, abolitionists and slaveholders alike, embodied the contradictions of the revolutionary age. The Jays of New York were a preeminent founding family. John Jay, diplomat, Supreme Court justice, and coauthor of the Federalist Papers, and his children and grandchildren helped chart the course of the Early American Republic. Liberty's Chain forges a new path for thinking about slavery and the nation's founding. John Jay served as the inaugural president of a pioneering antislavery society. His descendants, especially his son William Jay and his grandson John Jay II, embraced radical abolitionism in the nineteenth century, the cause most likely to rend the nation. The scorn of their elite peers—and racist mobs—did not deter their commitment to end southern slavery and to combat northern injustice. John Jay's personal dealings with African Americans ranged from callousness to caring. Across the generations, even as prominent Jays decried human servitude, enslaved people and formerly enslaved people served in Jay households. Abbe, Clarinda, Caesar Valentine, Zilpah Montgomery, and others lived difficult, often isolated, lives that tested their courage and the Jay family's principles. The personal and the political intersect in this saga, as Gellman charts American values transmitted and transformed from the colonial and revolutionary eras to the Civil War, Reconstruction, and beyond. The Jays, as well as those who served them, demonstrated the elusiveness and the vitality of liberty's legacy. This remarkable family story forces us to grapple with what we mean by patriotism, conservatism, and radicalism. Their story speaks directly to our own divided times. This book shows how the Jay family, abolitionists and slaveholders alike, embodied the contradictions of the revolutionary age. The Jays of New York were a preeminent founding family. John Jay, diplomat, Supreme Court justice, and coauthor of the Federalist Papers, and his children and grandchildren helped chart the course of the Early American Republic. The book forges a new path for thinking about slavery and the nation's founding. John Jay served as the inaugural president of a pioneering antislavery society. His descendants, especially his son William Jay and his grandson John Jay II, embraced radical abolitionism in the nineteenth century, the cause most likely to rend the nation. The scorn of their elite peers—and racist mobs—did not deter their commitment to end southern slavery and to combat northern injustice. John Jay's personal dealings with African Americans ranged from callousness to caring. Across the generations, even as prominent Jays decried human servitude, enslaved people and formerly enslaved people served in Jay households. Abbe, Clarinda, Caesar Valentine, Zilpah Montgomery, and others lived difficult, often isolated, lives that tested their courage and the Jay family's principles. The personal and the political intersect in this saga, as the book charts American values transmitted and transformed from the colonial and revolutionary eras to the Civil War, Reconstruction, and beyond. The Jays, as well as those who served them, demonstrated the elusiveness and the vitality of liberty's legacy. This family story forces us to grapple with what we mean by patriotism, conservatism, and radicalism. Their story speaks directly to our own divided times. "This book studies the Jay family's relationship to the institution of slavery, to enslaved people, and to the abolitionist movement in New York and the United States from 1685 to 1912" -- Provided by publisher