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Title: Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro Slavery by Robert William Fogel, Stanley L. Engerman ISBN: 0-393-31218-6 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: September, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.19 (16 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An Econometric Approach to Slavery
Comment: This book is a must read for any students of Economic History. Rather than using a traditional approach to history, the book uses a particularly mathematical approach to the economics of slavery. Its conclusions are based collected data. Some of the books conclusions may bother people. Such as the implications that explotation of slaves can be mitigated by the money they receive during the course of their life. It also offers evidence that certain henious practices such as breeding, and sexual relationships between master and slave, were not as wide-spread as is commonly believed. It also attacks the notion that any modern family problems, specifically the commonality single parent homes, can be attributed to the purposeful degredation of the family unit by slave holders. This book does not try to convince people that slavery was an acceptable economic system. I believe its intent was to make the readers better informed about slavery. I would hope that the reader realizes the true evil of slavery was not the conditions associated with it, but rather depriving others of their freedom for economic gain.
Rating: 1
Summary: A Great Example of Bad History
Comment: Fogel and Engerman's "Time on the Cross" was used in one of my junior history classes. The professor had us read it, write a paper on it and then, after we handed in our papers, demolished the book in class. He assigned it entirely as an example of sloppy historical research and how something well written can be convincing even if its based on deeply flawed information.
Quite often Fogel and Engerman rely on a singal, somewhat questionable, example to support a sweeping generalization of the entire institution of slavery. Much of their work rests on a single source which they use time and time again to prop up a badly construted hypothesis. When this is coupled with a devotion to the idea of man as a rational economic actor you have something that is almost an apologia for the entire practice of slavery.
My suggestion is to read this book and read it well. Use a critical eye when they present information and pay attention to their sources. Use this book as a tool to help you discover the many avenues of failure in writing history. Do not, I beg of you, use it as a guide to the truth because there is precious little in here.
Rating: 2
Summary: Problems with Fogle and Engerman
Comment: "Time on the Cross" is a very well written book. That is all it is! It uses information from small spacific areas of the south and generalizes it for all of the south. Just because it happens in one area of the south doesn't mean that it happens every where. People that read this book may think that they are getting a new look at the south but really they are getting a bunch of numbers that makes it look like the south was not that bad of a place. This book depicts people as rational people who always think things out. This book depicts the south as though the slaves were being treated well as far as eating, sleeping quarters, and medical care. This is a good book for showing how bad clieometrics can go wrong. I just hope people will not take this book to heart for if they do they will be very misinformed as to how the south was. Fogel and Engerman only use information from specific areas, such as New Orleans. They doen't take into consideration about the human nature of people. This book, if not explaned in detail could do some harm to the view of the south. This book does use statistics very well but it doesn't give the big pitcure. The only reason I would recomend this book is if someone wants to see a different way of writing or how data could creat different aproaches about historical events, good or bad.
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Title: Roll, Jordan, Roll : The World the Slaves Made by Eugene D. Genovese ISBN: 0394716523 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 12 January, 1976 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: Without Consent or Contract: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery by Robert William Fogel ISBN: 0393312194 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: August, 1994 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Myths & Realities of American Slavery: The True History of Slavery in America by John C. Perry ISBN: 157249350X Publisher: Burd Street Press Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life by Stanley M. Elkins ISBN: 0226204774 Publisher: University of Chicago Press Pub. Date: November, 1976 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: Peculiar Institution : Slavery in the Ante-Bellum South by Kenneth M. Stampp ISBN: 0679723072 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 17 December, 1989 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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