"Race and Revolution"

Paper Summary:

The paper explains Gary Nash's purpose behind his book "Race and Revolution", which is to determine why the US founding fathers failed to outlaw slavery in their new world. The paper looks at how Nash's book shows that this piece of history was determined by numerous factors, including economic forces, individuals, geography and even societal views that all helped to perpetuate slavery. The paper recommends this book to anyone seeking more insight on American history, particularly how the Constitution and basic laws were framed, and what motivated the country at the time.

From the Paper:

"The author's purpose in writing this book was to take a different view of the American Revolution, and why the founding fathers failed to outlaw slavery in this new world. This is one of the most enduring questions in American history. Why did it take 100 years and a war to end slavery, when the founding fathers could have ended the practice once and for all when they framed the Constitution? This is a hard decision to understand, and he shows that it was difficult for the founding fathers, as well. For example, he writes, "Such poignant comments [against slavery], often coming from the South as well as the North, tell us that in the eyes of many leaders the continuing presence of slavery left the union of states highly fragile from the day the Constitution took effect" (Nash, 1990, p. 27). However, abolitionism failed, and the country would have to fight a Civil War to finally settle the issue of slavery. This book helps the history student understand the phenomenon that led to this failure, and then how it affected the country until the Civil War occurred."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Nash, G. B. (1990). Race and revolution. Madison, WI: Madison House Publishers.

More papers on "Race and Revolution":

• Essay # 137624 : "Race and Revolution: An Analysis of Slavery During the Revolutionary Era"
• Book Review # 148726 : "Race and Revolution" - A Book Review"
• Book Review # 108156 : "Gary Nash's "Race and Revolution"

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