Beacons of Liberty
International Free Soil and the Fight for Racial Justice in Antebellum America

The fascinating story of how free African Americans and runaway slaves crossed international borders to fight for freedom and racial justice.

Elena K. Abbott (Author)

9781108491549, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 April 2021

304 pages
23.4 x 15.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.59 kg

'Recommended.' E. R. Crowther, Choice Connect

Before the Civil War, free African Americans and fugitive slaves crossed international borders to places like Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean in search of freedom and equality. Beacons of Liberty tells the story of how these bold migrants catalyzed contentious debates over citizenship, racial justice, and national character in the United States. Blending fresh historical analysis with incredible stories of escape and rebellion, Elena K. Abbott shows how the shifting geography of slavery and freedom beyond US borders helped shape the hopes and expectations of black radicals, white politicians, and fiery reformers engaged in the American anti-slavery movement. Featuring perspectives from activists and risk-takers like Mary Ann Shadd, Martin Delany, and James C. Brown, Beacons of Liberty illuminates the critical role that international free soil played in the long and arduous fight for emancipation and racial justice in the United States.

Introduction
1. Reform and Relocation: West Africa and Haiti in the Early Republic
2. Exit and Expansion: The Search for Legal Equality in a Time of Crisis
3. Departure and Debate: Free Black Emigration to Canada and Mexico
4. Assessing Abolition: Investigating the Results of British Emancipation
5. Reputations and Expectations: Assessing Migrant Life in Upper Canada
6. Escape and Escalation: Self-Emancipation and the Geopolitics of Freedom
7. Free Soil, Fiction, and the Fugitive Slave Act
8. Emigration and Enmity: The Meaning of Free Soil in a Nation Divided
Conclusion
Appendix: Reference Material
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Ethnic minorities & multicultural studies [JFSL1], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], History of the Americas [HBJK]