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Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup • 2013
Drugged and chained, a free New York violinist begins twelve years as a Louisiana slave.
4.23
126k+
Twelve Years a Slave Summary
Twelve Years a Slave 90%
Drugged and chained, a free New York violinist begins twelve years as a Louisiana slave.
by Solomon Northup 2013
4.23
126k+ ratings
The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation
by John F. Baker Jr. • 2009
A classroom photograph sent a man searching for his enslaved ancestors on a Tennessee plantation.
4.24
131
The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation Summary
The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation 89%
A classroom photograph sent a man searching for his enslaved ancestors on a Tennessee plantation.
by John F. Baker Jr. 2009
4.24
131 ratings
The Autistic Brain
by Temple Grandin • 2013
A free Black man is sold into slavery; a single smuggled letter holds his escape.
4.1
11k+
The Autistic Brain Summary
The Autistic Brain 89%
A free Black man is sold into slavery; a single smuggled letter holds his escape.
by Temple Grandin 2013
4.1
11k+ ratings
Long-Distance Real Estate Investing
by David Greene • 2017
A free Black man is drugged, kidnapped, and sold. Twelve years later, a letter changes everything.
4.22
1k+
Long-Distance Real Estate Investing Summary
Long-Distance Real Estate Investing 89%
A free Black man is drugged, kidnapped, and sold. Twelve years later, a letter changes everything.
by David Greene 2017
4.22
1k+ ratings
The Psychology of the Child
by Jean Piaget • 1972
His master warned that literacy would ruin him. He learned anyway, and it did.
3.87
1k+
The Psychology of the Child Summary
The Psychology of the Child 88%
His master warned that literacy would ruin him. He learned anyway, and it did.
by Jean Piaget 1972
3.87
1k+ ratings
Slave Breeding
by Gregory D. Smithers • 2012
Historians called it myth. The enslaved knew forced reproduction was slavery's brutal core.
3.73
51
Slave Breeding Summary
Slave Breeding 88%
Historians called it myth. The enslaved knew forced reproduction was slavery's brutal core.
by Gregory D. Smithers 2012
3.73
51 ratings
The Underground Railroad
by Colson Whitehead • 2016
On a literal railroad beneath the South, Cora flees captivity, hunted by a relentless slave catcher.
4.06
450k+
The Underground Railroad Summary
The Underground Railroad 88%
On a literal railroad beneath the South, Cora flees captivity, hunted by a relentless slave catcher.
by Colson Whitehead 2016
4.06
450k+ ratings
Slave Country
by Adam Rothman • 2005
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
3.73
169
Slave Country Summary
Slave Country 88%
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
by Adam Rothman 2005
3.73
169 ratings
The White Man's Burden
by Winthrop D. Jordan • 1974
Before cotton, before ideology, cultural disgust and sexual fear set American slavery in motion.
3.89
186
The White Man's Burden Summary
The White Man's Burden 88%
Before cotton, before ideology, cultural disgust and sexual fear set American slavery in motion.
by Winthrop D. Jordan 1974
3.89
186 ratings
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
by Harriet Ann Jacobs • 1861
To keep her children, an enslaved mother hides seven years in a cramped garret.
4.18
59k+
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Summary
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 88%
To keep her children, an enslaved mother hides seven years in a cramped garret.
by Harriet Ann Jacobs 1861
4.18
59k+ ratings
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion
by Herbert Aptheker • 1966
A solar eclipse, a prophet's vision, and 40 hours that forced the South to defend slavery openly.
3.55
64
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion Summary
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion 88%
A solar eclipse, a prophet's vision, and 40 hours that forced the South to defend slavery openly.
by Herbert Aptheker 1966
3.55
64 ratings
Four Hundred Souls
by Ibram X. Kendi • 2021
Eighty writers tell 400 years of African American history, starting where the textbooks go silent.
4.55
11k+
Four Hundred Souls Summary
Four Hundred Souls 88%
Eighty writers tell 400 years of African American history, starting where the textbooks go silent.
by Ibram X. Kendi 2021
4.55
11k+ ratings
Burn Down Master's House
by Clay Cane • 2026
Virginia's enslaved forge a hidden rebellion of love and vengeance their masters cannot survive.
4.37
14k+
Burn Down Master's House Summary
Burn Down Master's House 88%
Virginia's enslaved forge a hidden rebellion of love and vengeance their masters cannot survive.
by Clay Cane 2026
4.37
14k+ ratings
The Ruling Race
by James Oakes • 1982
They weren't aristocrats. Restless hunger for land and slaves pushed the South to secession.
3.73
104
The Ruling Race Summary
The Ruling Race 88%
They weren't aristocrats. Restless hunger for land and slaves pushed the South to secession.
by James Oakes 1982
3.73
104 ratings
The Republic of Violence
by J.D. Dickey • 2022
The abolitionists' greatest enemy wasn't slavery; it was the mob violence that met their every move.
4.03
34
The Republic of Violence Summary
The Republic of Violence 88%
The abolitionists' greatest enemy wasn't slavery; it was the mob violence that met their every move.
by J.D. Dickey 2022
4.03
34 ratings
Slavery by Another Name
by Douglas A. Blackmon • 2008
The 13th Amendment's exception for criminals became a new slavery that lasted eighty years.
4.38
7k+
Slavery by Another Name Summary
Slavery by Another Name 88%
The 13th Amendment's exception for criminals became a new slavery that lasted eighty years.
by Douglas A. Blackmon 2008
4.38
7k+ ratings
My Bondage and My Freedom
by Frederick Douglass • 1855
One brawl with a slave-breaker taught him he was a man. Then he taught a nation.
4.38
12k+
My Bondage and My Freedom Summary
My Bondage and My Freedom 87%
One brawl with a slave-breaker taught him he was a man. Then he taught a nation.
by Frederick Douglass 1855
4.38
12k+ ratings
The Zorg
by Siddharth Kara • 2025
132 Africans thrown overboard for insurance money, and the anonymous letter that ignited abolition.
4.16
6k+
The Zorg Summary
The Zorg 87%
132 Africans thrown overboard for insurance money, and the anonymous letter that ignited abolition.
by Siddharth Kara 2025
4.16
6k+ ratings
American Slavery, American Freedom
by Edmund S. Morgan • 1975
American liberty and American slavery grew from the same soil, and each strengthened the other.
4.12
4k+
American Slavery, American Freedom Summary
American Slavery, American Freedom 87%
American liberty and American slavery grew from the same soil, and each strengthened the other.
by Edmund S. Morgan 1975
4.12
4k+ ratings
The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism
by Gerald Horne • 2018
Slavery, white supremacy, and capitalism: fused in the 1600s, they still power the modern world.
4.26
189
The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism Summary
The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism 87%
Slavery, white supremacy, and capitalism: fused in the 1600s, they still power the modern world.
by Gerald Horne 2018
4.26
189 ratings
A Nation Under Our Feet
by Steven Hahn • 2003
Enslaved people built a political world in secret. It outlasted slavery and reshaped the South.
4.11
958
A Nation Under Our Feet Summary
A Nation Under Our Feet 87%
Enslaved people built a political world in secret. It outlasted slavery and reshaped the South.
by Steven Hahn 2003
4.11
958 ratings
Blonde Roots
by Bernardine Evaristo • 2008
When Africans enslave Europeans, one woman receives a secret note offering escape at any cost.
3.60
9k+
Blonde Roots Summary
Blonde Roots 87%
When Africans enslave Europeans, one woman receives a secret note offering escape at any cost.
by Bernardine Evaristo 2008
3.60
9k+ ratings
How the Word Is Passed
by Clint Smith • 2021
From Monticello to Angola Prison, nine American sites where slavery's past has never really ended.
4.70
41k+
How the Word Is Passed Summary
How the Word Is Passed 87%
From Monticello to Angola Prison, nine American sites where slavery's past has never really ended.
by Clint Smith 2021
4.70
41k+ ratings
Slave Nation
by Alfred W. Blumrosen • 2005
The American Revolution was not about taxes. It began when a British judge ruled slavery illegal.
4.02
113
Slave Nation Summary
Slave Nation 87%
The American Revolution was not about taxes. It began when a British judge ruled slavery illegal.
by Alfred W. Blumrosen 2005
4.02
113 ratings
The Half Has Never Been Told
by Edward E. Baptist • 2013
Torture, not the cotton gin, drove America's economic miracle. The numbers the textbooks leave out.
4.46
6k+
The Half Has Never Been Told Summary
The Half Has Never Been Told 87%
Torture, not the cotton gin, drove America's economic miracle. The numbers the textbooks leave out.
by Edward E. Baptist 2013
4.46
6k+ ratings
Sweetness and Power
by Sidney W. Mintz • 1985
Royal luxury to factory fuel: how sugar, slavery, and empire built the modern Western diet.
3.78
3k+
Sweetness and Power Summary
Sweetness and Power 87%
Royal luxury to factory fuel: how sugar, slavery, and empire built the modern Western diet.
by Sidney W. Mintz 1985
3.78
3k+ ratings
Confronting Black Jacobins
by Gerald Horne • 2015
Haunted by its slave revolt, the US fought a century-long war to destroy Haiti.
3.82
62
Confronting Black Jacobins Summary
Confronting Black Jacobins 87%
Haunted by its slave revolt, the US fought a century-long war to destroy Haiti.
by Gerald Horne 2015
3.82
62 ratings
Master Slave Husband Wife
by Ilyon Woo • 2023
Enslaved woman as white gentleman, husband as slave: a 1,000-mile escape in plain sight.
3.97
19k+
Master Slave Husband Wife Summary
Master Slave Husband Wife 87%
Enslaved woman as white gentleman, husband as slave: a 1,000-mile escape in plain sight.
by Ilyon Woo 2023
3.97
19k+ ratings
The Counter-Revolution of 1776
by Gerald Horne • 2014
Britain was turning against slavery. The American Revolution was the slaveholders' answer.
4.20
693
The Counter-Revolution of 1776 Summary
The Counter-Revolution of 1776 87%
Britain was turning against slavery. The American Revolution was the slaveholders' answer.
by Gerald Horne 2014
4.20
693 ratings
Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution
by Maxine Berg • 2023
Sugar, copper, cotton, and credit: how enslaved labor built the Industrial Revolution.
4.42
26
Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution Summary
Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution 87%
Sugar, copper, cotton, and credit: how enslaved labor built the Industrial Revolution.
by Maxine Berg 2023
4.42
26 ratings
Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men
by Eric Foner • 1971
The ideology that built the Republican Party made its clash with the slave South inevitable.
4.12
1k+
Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men Summary
Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men 87%
The ideology that built the Republican Party made its clash with the slave South inevitable.
by Eric Foner 1971
4.12
1k+ ratings
The Great Contradiction
by Joseph J. Ellis • 2025
To create a nation, the founders protected slavery. Indian removal was the other price of union.
4.20
1k+
The Great Contradiction Summary
The Great Contradiction 87%
To create a nation, the founders protected slavery. Indian removal was the other price of union.
by Joseph J. Ellis 2025
4.20
1k+ ratings
Wench
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez • 2010
An enslaved woman at a free-state resort must choose: her friend's freedom or her children's safety.
3.74
19k+
Wench Summary
Wench 87%
An enslaved woman at a free-state resort must choose: her friend's freedom or her children's safety.
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 2010
3.74
19k+ ratings
The Reformatory
by Tananarive Due • 2023
A Black boy's defiance sends him to a haunted Jim Crow reformatory where dead boys seek justice.
4.43
79k+
The Reformatory Summary
The Reformatory 87%
A Black boy's defiance sends him to a haunted Jim Crow reformatory where dead boys seek justice.
by Tananarive Due 2023
4.43
79k+ ratings
Lynching and Leisure
by Terry Anne Scott • 2022
Lynching was entertainment, complete with chartered trains, souvenir bones, and Sunday sightseers.
4.20
20
Lynching and Leisure Summary
Lynching and Leisure 87%
Lynching was entertainment, complete with chartered trains, souvenir bones, and Sunday sightseers.
by Terry Anne Scott 2022
4.20
20 ratings
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
by Frederick Douglass • 2004
A former slave's firsthand account of how literacy unlocked his escape from bondage.
4.13
138k+
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Summary
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 87%
A former slave's firsthand account of how literacy unlocked his escape from bondage.
by Frederick Douglass 2004
4.13
138k+ ratings
The Grift
by Clay Cane • 2024
From Reconstruction to Trump, the Black conservatives who enabled racism for a seat at the table.
4.32
951
The Grift Summary
The Grift 87%
From Reconstruction to Trump, the Black conservatives who enabled racism for a seat at the table.
by Clay Cane 2024
4.32
951 ratings
American Taxation, American Slavery
by Robin L. Einhorn • 2006
The anti-government tradition Americans celebrate was built to shield slavery, not liberty.
4.17
46
American Taxation, American Slavery Summary
American Taxation, American Slavery 87%
The anti-government tradition Americans celebrate was built to shield slavery, not liberty.
by Robin L. Einhorn 2006
4.17
46 ratings
Kindred
by Octavia E. Butler • 1979
A Black woman is ripped through time to save her white ancestor: a slaveholder's son.
4.31
279k+
Kindred Summary
Kindred 87%
A Black woman is ripped through time to save her white ancestor: a slaveholder's son.
by Octavia E. Butler 1979
4.31
279k+ ratings
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens
by George Washington Williams • 2012
The 1883 history that began in African empires and ended with the Constitution enshrining slavery.
4.03
29
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens Summary
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens 87%
The 1883 history that began in African empires and ended with the Constitution enshrining slavery.
by George Washington Williams 2012
4.03
29 ratings
Worse Than Slavery
by David M. Oshinsky • 1996
Slavery ended. Mississippi made convicts cheaper than slaves and built an empire on their labor.
4.31
1k+
Worse Than Slavery Summary
Worse Than Slavery 87%
Slavery ended. Mississippi made convicts cheaper than slaves and built an empire on their labor.
by David M. Oshinsky 1996
4.31
1k+ ratings
Wilmington's Lie
by David Zucchino • 2020
Before Jim Crow there was an 1898 coup that erased a Southern city's black leadership.
4.43
4k+
Wilmington's Lie Summary
Wilmington's Lie 87%
Before Jim Crow there was an 1898 coup that erased a Southern city's black leadership.
by David Zucchino 2020
4.43
4k+ ratings
Spying on the South
by Tony Horwitz • 2019
America's red-blue fault line was forged in the 1850s South. Retracing Olmsted's journey proves it.
4.00
5k+
Spying on the South Summary
Spying on the South 87%
America's red-blue fault line was forged in the 1850s South. Retracing Olmsted's journey proves it.
by Tony Horwitz 2019
4.00
5k+ ratings
Empire's Crossroads
by Carrie Gibson • 2014
Five centuries of sugar, slavery, and empire: how a handful of islands made the modern world.
3.83
592
Empire's Crossroads Summary
Empire's Crossroads 87%
Five centuries of sugar, slavery, and empire: how a handful of islands made the modern world.
by Carrie Gibson 2014
3.83
592 ratings
The Wages of Whiteness
by David R. Roediger • 1991
The white working class took racial status as partial payment. The bargain was a trap.
3.99
2k+
The Wages of Whiteness Summary
The Wages of Whiteness 87%
The white working class took racial status as partial payment. The bargain was a trap.
by David R. Roediger 1991
3.99
2k+ ratings
Stony the Road
by Henry Louis Gates Jr. • 2019
Jim Crow was not a backlash. It was a rebranding of white supremacy, using science and stereotypes.
4.16
4k+
Stony the Road Summary
Stony the Road 87%
Jim Crow was not a backlash. It was a rebranding of white supremacy, using science and stereotypes.
by Henry Louis Gates Jr. 2019
4.16
4k+ ratings
Freedom’s Dominion
by Jefferson R. Cowie • 2022
One Alabama county's 'freedom' meant the right to dominate. The history and the national fallout.
4.50
881
Freedom’s Dominion Summary
Freedom’s Dominion 87%
One Alabama county's 'freedom' meant the right to dominate. The history and the national fallout.
by Jefferson R. Cowie 2022
4.50
881 ratings
American Prison
by Shane Bauer • 2018
Undercover as a guard, a reporter finds that profiting from captivity built the American prison.
4.23
13k+
American Prison Summary
American Prison 86%
Undercover as a guard, a reporter finds that profiting from captivity built the American prison.
by Shane Bauer 2018
4.23
13k+ ratings
The Slaveholding Republic
by Don E. Fehrenbacher • 2001
The federal government was not neutral on slavery. It became the slaveholder's most powerful weapon.
4.21
63
The Slaveholding Republic Summary
The Slaveholding Republic 86%
The federal government was not neutral on slavery. It became the slaveholder's most powerful weapon.
by Don E. Fehrenbacher 2001
4.21
63 ratings
Illiberal America
by Steven Hahn • 2024
American liberty as a tradition is a Cold War invention; illiberalism is the nation's true center.
4.16
318
Illiberal America Summary
Illiberal America 86%
American liberty as a tradition is a Cold War invention; illiberalism is the nation's true center.
by Steven Hahn 2024
4.16
318 ratings
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