Ploughshares into Swords : Race, Rebellion, and Identity in Gabriel's Virginia, 1730-1810

Rating:
Summary: required for class
Review: I had to read this book for my History class and found it interesting, despite the fact that it was required and I had to make a paper about it. I have absolutely no previous knowledge of U.S. History because I'm not from this country but I learned alot about slavery in America and actually understood it pretty well from reading this book. The book is not entirely about Gabriel's rebellion. Rather, it takes a more wholistic approach and actually puts together the identity, or how black slaves in Richmond, Virginia, thought of themselves and why they participated, or did not participate, in Gabriel's rebellion. In addition to this, the book reflects the experiences, beliefs and culture of the slaves in Richmond as well as the influences of other rebellions of that time to Gabriel's rebellion.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful tool for teaching about slave resistence.
Review: This book is a great tool for teaching about slave resistence in the antebellum South. Sidbury gives a detailed description of the plans and strategies used by Gabriel Prosser, and how the whites of the South reacted to the threat of rebellion. This book outlines the process of how African Americans resist racism and the institution of slavery. I used the book in one of my college classes, and it shed a lot of light on a subject that is rarely touched upon in secondary schools. It is a wonderful tool for teaching about slave resistence the United States and a great read for anyone who is interested in the subeject of slavery and slave resistence, especially from an Afro American point of view.