Take Freedom: Recovering the Fugitive History of the Denmark Vesey Affair (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture)

Spady, James O'Neil

ISBN 10: 1469686376 / ISBN 13: 9781469686370

Published by The University of North Carolina Press, 2026

About this Item

Seller Inventory # I-9781469686370

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Take Freedom: Recovering the Fugitive History of the Denmark Vesey Affair (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture)
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1469686376
• ISBN 13: 9781469686370
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

In 1822, Black Charlestonians attempted to overthrow slavery. They were exposed before they could strike, and many were tried and executed in what has come to be known as the Denmark Vesey Affair. Take Freedom reinterprets these events on the basis of new evidence and methods. James O’Neil Spady narrates the roles of a variety of Black men and women, arguing that the uprising was a broadly based, African-influenced social movement that marshaled radical love and fugitive practices of freedom to ignite a revolution that sought to liberate beloved friends, families, and communities from increasingly aggressive and racializing slaveowners.

Uncovering never-before-consulted, unpublished documents, Spady names the clerk who made the trial records and settles old arguments about their reliability. Take Freedom demonstrates the realism of the uprising movement’s strategy and uses social network mapping to illustrate the social dynamics within the Black community, emphasizing the roles of women and relationships among enslaved people. Ultimately, this book offers a more inclusive and expanded portrayal of this pivotal revolutionary movement.

About the Author

James O’Neil Spady is associate professor of American history at Soka University.