Liberty or Death: The Surprising Story of Runaway Slaves Who Sided With the British During The American Revolution. By Margaret Whitman Blair. 2010. National Geographic. 64 pages.
Liberty and freedom are not the sole province of any set of people anywhere. The fact that three of the first four Presidents of our nation were slaveholders would seem to suggest that our nation was founded in slavery.
I'll be honest. I was mostly interested in Liberty Or Death because I've been fascinated by a few recent fictional titles on this subject: Octavian Nothing volume 1 and 2 by M.T. Anderson, and Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. (Forge, the sequel to Chains, releases this fall.)
I'm glad I read Liberty or Death. I found it interesting and informative. It mentions how African Americans fought on both sides of the War. How some chose to trust the British. How some chose to trust the Americans. It not only covers the years of the American Revolution, it tells the bigger story. What happened to these former slaves who fought for the British after the defeat. Where they settled. What kind of lives they led. Their continued struggles.
I found the book very engaging--very compelling.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
3 comments:
I think I would like this one having read and loved the Octavian Nothing books and Chains. Maybe I can squeeze it in before Forge comes out.
Thanks, I've added it to my "to read" list.
The nice thing about American history is that, as a young nation, our history is well recorded.
http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
I'm amazed to hear that some African Americans fought on the side of the British. Talk about little-known facts!
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