Description: *Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made* is a landmark book written by historian Eugene D. Genovese, first published in 1974. It is considered one of the most influential works in the study of American slavery, offering a comprehensive exploration of the social, cultural, and economic aspects of slavery in the American South. Genovese’s primary focus in *Roll, Jordan, Roll* is on the complex relationship between enslaved people and their masters. He argues that despite the immense oppression and exploitation of slavery, enslaved people were able to carve out a sense of community and cultural identity. The book is centered on the concept of paternalism, the notion that slavery in the South was justified by slaveholders as a mutually beneficial relationship, wherein the masters provided care and protection, and the enslaved people, in return, owed loyalty and obedience. Key aspects of the book include: - **Paternalism**: Genovese emphasizes how paternalism was used as a tool by slaveholders to justify and sustain the system of slavery. However, he also argues that enslaved people were able to manipulate the paternalistic ideals to create space for their own autonomy and resistance. - **Slave Culture**: The book is particularly noted for its exploration of how enslaved people developed their own cultural and social systems, including religion, music, and family structures, in the face of brutal conditions. Genovese highlights how African American Christianity, spirituals (like "Roll, Jordan, Roll"), and folk traditions became forms of resistance and survival. - **Resistance and Accommodation**: Genovese does not romanticize the institution of slavery, but he shows how enslaved people navigated a life of oppression, balancing both acts of resistance (such as sabotage, running away, or passive resistance) and strategies of accommodation to survive. - **The Master-Slave Relationship**: Genovese delves into the psychological and power dynamics between masters and slaves. He portrays this relationship as one of domination but also negotiation, where the enslaved managed to assert a level of agency within the confines of the oppressive system. - **Economic and Labor Systems**: The book also addresses the economic structure of slavery, focusing on how the labor of enslaved people underpinned the economy of the Southern plantations and how this shaped the material conditions of their lives. *Roll, Jordan, Roll* is widely regarded for its depth of research and nuanced portrayal of slavery. It blends social history with cultural analysis and offers a detailed picture of how enslaved people shaped their own lives and the world they lived in, even under the most dehumanizing circumstances. It also emphasizes the moral contradictions and complexities of the Southern slaveholding society. Though the book has been praised for its scholarship, it has also been critiqued by some for its emphasis on paternalism, which some argue could downplay the harshness of the slave system. Despite such critiques, it remains a foundational text in the field of American slavery studies.
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End Time: 2025-01-17T23:23:40.000Z
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Book Title: Roll, Jordan, Roll : the World the Slaves Made
Signed: No
Ex Libris: No
Narrative Type: Nonfiction
Original Language: English
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Item Length: 7.9 in
Intended Audience: Adults, Young Adults
Vintage: Yes
Publication Year: 1976
Type: Novel
Format: Trade Paperback
Language: English
Item Height: 1.5 in
Region: World
Author: Eugene D. Genovese
Genre: Social Science, History, Music, Art & Culture, Historical
Country/Region of Manufacture: Jordan
Topic: Slavery, United States / General, African American, Ethnic Studies / African American Studies, American History, Contemporary History, Cultural History, Rock Music, Ethnic Studies, World History
Item Weight: 21.2 Oz
Item Width: 5.2 in
Number of Pages: 864 Pages
