Slave Young, Slave Long: The American Slave Experience (People's History)

Meg Greene

ISBN 10: 0822517396 ISBN 13: 9780822517399

Publisher: 21st Century, 1998

Presents a social and cultural history of the American slave experience with emphasis on day to day life rather than the larger political context.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-7-A well-done survey of American slavery told in an accessible style. Greene introduces the history of this "peculiar institution" and offers aspects of the day-to-day lives of slaves through personal narratives. The account begins with a 1664 Maryland law sentencing indentured servants to "service for life" and concludes with the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery in 1865. Using original quotes that include dialect, the narrative relates the many horrors of slavery as well as the comforts that those who were enslaved found in their families and religion. The author does not focus on details: the Middle Passage is simply described as the "journey to the New World" and there is little biographical information on the few familiar names mentioned, such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. A good, basic addition.
Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 5^-8. In quiet, direct prose, with sepia-toned historical prints and photographs on nearly every page, this account in the People's History series tells the bitter story of slavery in the U.S. The history is rooted in personal accounts, with many brief verbatim quotes from individual victims and perpetrators woven into the general narrative. Unfortunately, though Greene includes an extensive final bibliography, she gives no sources for any quotes. Even the citations from scholars are usually no more than the generic "historians estimate," which asks readers to put away critical thinking and trust the writer. This is especially frustrating because the personal dramatic words make you want to find out more. Still, this is an excellent, accessible introduction that can be read with more detailed accounts, such as those listed in the Booklist bibliography "Significant Books on Slavery in the U.S." . Hazel Rochman

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