Unburdened By Conscience: A Black People's Collective Account of America's Ante-Bellum South and the Aftermath

(Paperback, Third Edition)

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In this new and expanded third edition of Unburdened by Conscience, Anthony W. Neal forcefully argues that influential historians have been unable to offer a complete account of antebellum-era American slavery because of their preoccupation with humanizing the slaveholders. He charges them with concealing the full horrors of slavery in order to present the slaveholders in a more favorable light. By skillfully weaving together searing firsthand accounts of courageous ex-slaves, Neal permits the reader to see slavery in the United States from their point of view. Former slaves talk candidly about the break-up of their marital unions and families and about matters rarely examined in most American slavery history books, including the slaveholders' legally sanctioned acts of violence, their practice of slave breeding, and their rape of black women. Through this powerful and compelling work, Neal gives a voice to black people who endured American slavery and presents a sobering record not found in most books on the topic.

Reviews

Well-written and thoroughly researched. . . . [S]hould become a standard text for African-American Studies courses that delve into the gross dehumanizing effects of American slavery. -- Robert Johnson Jr.
An impressive level of scholarship. . . . . [A] brilliant and important piece of work. -- Rene C. Neblett, director of the Kokrobitey Institute, Accra, Ghana
It is the story of why all citizens need to be aware of the potential cost of intolerance within a society based on race, age, religion, physical and mental ability, and sex. This is a book that should be read by all those interested in American history, especially by those studying 19th-century America, the South, slavery or race relations in America. * Civil War News *
Unburdened by Conscience sets the record straight by relying on narratives and journals kept by ex-slaves rather than on academic texts which never bothered to consider the African-American experience . . . .[T]he book represents a refreshing alternative to the conventional wisdom in much the same way that the late Howard Zinn painted an empathetic picture from the point-of-view of blacks, women, Native-Americans and other oppressed groups in A People's History of the United States . . . . A sobering opus belatedly shedding light on a shameful chapter of our cultural legacy. -- Kam Williams, syndicated film and book critic * Black Book News Magazine *
Unburdened by Conscience is a riveting and complete account on this dark shadow of American history. * Midwest Book Review *

Author Bio

Anthony W. Neal, a native of Boston, holds an A.B. with honors in history from Brown University and a J.D. from University of Texas School of Law. He has lectured on the topics of American slavery and civil rights and has been a panelist for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts, advising lawyers, employers, and employees on state and federal anti-discrimination laws. A community leader, artist, historian, and an attorney of twenty-five years, Unburdened by Conscience is his first book.