Slave Country: American Expansion and the Origins of the Deep South

As Rothman states in his introduction, "During the republic, slavery's expansion in the Deep South emerged from contingent global forces, concrete policies pursued by governments, and countless small choices made by thousands of individuals in diverse stations of life." The question of why and how slavery expanded after the revolution has yet to be answered. Most Americans consider slavery an embarrassment and many feel it unrealistic to question why slavery was not abolished in a post-revolutionary time of independence and achievement. Rothman approaches those issues to explain why slavery was not abolished and why it expanded in the republic.Rothman uses a variety of good primary source documents for his research and evidence: American State Papers; census and population data and statistics; newspapers; memorials; estate inventories; personal letters and papers; journals and memoirs; public documents and declarations; and legal documents such as petitions, laws, and affidavits. For secondary sources, Rothman consulted a number of journal articles, books, and dissertations that explore topics such as, but not limited to, the rationale of expansion, slaves and slavery, biography on politicians and plantation owners, and international relations. They all contribute appropriately to the book, and all seem to be sound documents and sources.What I liked best about this book is that it is very complete in the information that it gives. Rothman approaches a complex topic, with many various factors, influences, and causes/effects, and gives readers an in depth view into the expansion of slavery. Rather than be very broad and general, Rothman is full of detail and history to explain its rooting. He gives details and connects it all together in an intricate weave that is still easy to grasp and understand, and makes you understand the true complexity of slavery's expansion. What I feel hurt the book, though, is that there is a lot of date jumping back and forth. As a result, I found it difficult to keep up with at times and had some difficulty keeping things within a proper mental timeline. Another is that he frequently inserts things happening with Native Americans and places them within the context of slavery, a few times finding rationales that are very loose. While it makes sense to evaluate the impact of Native American slave holders, the book loses focus a few times when there is no direct or important correlation.If you have ever wanted to take a deeper look into slavery, to ask and then answer the question of how American culture, economy, and politics evolved in such a way as to encourage the institution of slavery, this will be a great book to read. So often we take slavery for granted in the sense that "it was here and it existed," but its origins are far more complex and layered, full of back and forth, supporters and dissenters, and part of a shifting nation that encouraged freedom while at the same time strengthening the bondage of others.

Adam Rothman portends that the Lousiana Purchase and Pinckney's treaty paved the way for the expansion of slavery in the Antebellum United States, since these two events led to the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama being admitted to the Union as slave states.Unfortunately, the book is slanted largely towards the expansion of slavery into Louisiana, though Rothman's work in this area is superb. The concepts he presents of why and how slavery became such a critical component of Lousiana life prior to the Civil War are all well documented, largely through manuscripts and business records left by participants in the events. His use of secondary sources is judicious and always appropriate.Rothman does not use the term 'manifest destiny', though his argument is indicative of the concept; he explains Jefferson's concept of expansion and slavery, which sets the tone for the whole book. His expansion on how slavery became a significant factor in life in these states is well thought out and very thorough.Given the subtitle of the book ("American Expansion and the Origins of the Deep South"), I had anticipated more treatment of the other two states - Mississippi and Alabama, although I realize that this would have significantly expanded the size of the work. Despite this fact, this book is well worth reading and an excellent treatment of the subject. I would recommend it to anyone seeking an understanding of why slavery expanded with such full force into Louisiana, but not for Alabama or Mississippi.

Rothman has put together and highly readable and highly informative work that centers largely on the current states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, which Rothman terms the Deep South. What Rothman is attempting to uncover is how and why slavery expanded and he focuses on these areas from after the Revolution until about 1820. The book features excellent information on the political, social, and economic reasons behind slavery expanding to these areas of the Louisiana Purchase. While Rothman focuses a good chunk of his effort on Louisiana, we still acquire a good understanding of how and why people from all over the country, and even world, poured into this area. For the most part, one walks away from this book thinking that slavery expanded to this area for economic gain and because white people believed the land could not be properly cultivated (especially the sugar plantations in Louisiana) without the labor of Africans. For some reason, I have a hard time adequately describing the merits of this book, but I think anyone interested in 19th century history, the antebellum South, or westward expansion would find this work worth the read.

Perfect.

Adam Rothman's Slave Country is a very readable book about the development of slavery in the deep South after the American Revolution. Using precise language and an elegant narrative form, Rothman brings legislation, cultural forces, economics, and the political battles involving slavery to life. It is necessary reading for anyone who wishes to understand the United States during the nineteenth century. Rothman has a gift for language and the wit of a master historian.Buy this book.