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White Slaves, African Masters: An Anthology of American Barbary Captivity Narratives
Some of the most popular stories in nineteenth-century America were sensational tales of whites captured and enslaved in North Africa. White Slaves, African Masters for the first time gathers together a selection of these Barbary captivity narratives, which significantly influenced early American attitudes toward race, slavery, and nationalism.
Though Barbary privateers began to seize North American colonists as early as 1625, Barbary captivity narratives did not begin to flourish until after the American Revolution. During these years, stories of Barbary captivity forced the U.S. government to pay humiliating tributes to African rulers, stimulated the drive to create the U.S. Navy, and brought on America's first post-revolutionary war. These tales also were used both to justify and to vilify slavery.
The accounts collected here range from the 1798 tale of John Foss, who was ransomed by Thomas Jefferson's administration for tribute totaling a sixth of the annual federal budget, to the story of Ion Perdicaris, whose (probably staged) abduction in Tangier in 1904 prompted Theodore Roosevelt to send warships to Morocco and inspired the 1975 film The Wind and the Lion. Also included is the unusual story of Robert Adams, a light-skinned African American who was abducted by Arabs and used by them to hunt negro slaves; captured by black villagers who presumed he was white; then was sold back to a group of Arabs, from whom he was ransomed by a British diplomat.
Long out of print and never before anthologized, these fascinating tales open an entirely new chapter of early American literary history, and shed new light on the more familiar genres of Indian captivity narrative and American slave narrative.
"Baepler has done American literary and cultural historians a service by collecting these long-out-of-print Barbary captivity narratives . . . . Baepler's excellent introduction and full bibliography of primary and secondary sources greatly enhance our knowledge of this fascinating genre."— Library Journal
Though Barbary privateers began to seize North American colonists as early as 1625, Barbary captivity narratives did not begin to flourish until after the American Revolution. During these years, stories of Barbary captivity forced the U.S. government to pay humiliating tributes to African rulers, stimulated the drive to create the U.S. Navy, and brought on America's first post-revolutionary war. These tales also were used both to justify and to vilify slavery.
The accounts collected here range from the 1798 tale of John Foss, who was ransomed by Thomas Jefferson's administration for tribute totaling a sixth of the annual federal budget, to the story of Ion Perdicaris, whose (probably staged) abduction in Tangier in 1904 prompted Theodore Roosevelt to send warships to Morocco and inspired the 1975 film The Wind and the Lion. Also included is the unusual story of Robert Adams, a light-skinned African American who was abducted by Arabs and used by them to hunt negro slaves; captured by black villagers who presumed he was white; then was sold back to a group of Arabs, from whom he was ransomed by a British diplomat.
Long out of print and never before anthologized, these fascinating tales open an entirely new chapter of early American literary history, and shed new light on the more familiar genres of Indian captivity narrative and American slave narrative.
"Baepler has done American literary and cultural historians a service by collecting these long-out-of-print Barbary captivity narratives . . . . Baepler's excellent introduction and full bibliography of primary and secondary sources greatly enhance our knowledge of this fascinating genre."— Library Journal
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
324 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 3, 2013
Paul Baepler and the present analogy are perhaps most responsible for renewing scholarly interest in the Barbary captivity narrative as an important genre in early American literary history. While the work is mostly an anthology of primary sources, Baepler's introduction contextualizes the narratives in terms of American intellectual and political histories. Furthermore, Baepler also does a good job of placing Barbary captivity narratives alongside the much more common genre of Indian captivity narratives - with both works working to structure American concepts of the "other" in early America.
Perhaps the best part of Baepler's work is the appendix he includes at the end of the book, which provides a publication history for all American Barbary captivity narratives that he's discovered in the course of his research. This bibliography would be an excellent resource for anyone studying captivity narratives.
Perhaps the best part of Baepler's work is the appendix he includes at the end of the book, which provides a publication history for all American Barbary captivity narratives that he's discovered in the course of his research. This bibliography would be an excellent resource for anyone studying captivity narratives.
March 29, 2007
What an amazing book! Everyone should run out and buy a copy today!
December 27, 2015
Ehhhh I feel like the title of the book is slightly misleading. Race doesn't enter into the narratives (only twice) so much as religion does.
However, one point made in the introduction was interesting. When race DOES enter the discussion there is a surprising lack of empathy/support from the freed white slaves to the still captive American slaves. Why is that?
However, one point made in the introduction was interesting. When race DOES enter the discussion there is a surprising lack of empathy/support from the freed white slaves to the still captive American slaves. Why is that?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews