Description
The untold saga of John Randolph’s 383 slaves, freed in his much-contested will of 1821, finally comes to light
Reviews
"In 1833, the Virginia congressman John Randolph freed his nearly four hundred slaves while on his deathbed. This detailed history untangles the much publicised legal dispute that ensued... May cautions against ascribing honourable motives to Randolph, and stresses that those he freed continued to face prejudice and violence in the North. " — The New Yorker
"Eye-opening and vigorously researched . . . May cogently reveals how white supremacy was not restricted to the South but permeated the nation, depicting a culture of fear and resentment around free Black settlement . . . Ultimately, May shows how such deprivations have lasting, generational consequences, illuminating inequities that persist to this day." — Ilyon Woo, The New York Times Book Review
"[E]nlightening, suspenseful... Mr. May, a lawyer turned historian, dexterously describes the court hearings, appeals and suits over Randolph’s will... a compelling case history of the complexities of enslavement and emancipation in the young American nation." — David S. Reynolds, The Wall Street Journal
