Just in time for Black History month comes this interesting volume by Gene Allen Smith: The Slaves' Gamble; Choosing Sides in the War of 1812 (#262). I probably would never have picked up this book to read if the author hadn't been one of the speakers at our library system's annual author event BookMania!, but I actually had a chance to chat with the author between panel discussions.
As I read the cover flap for this book, I realized that the novel Someone Knows My Name (See my post of 11/30/12.) which I read not long ago, dealt with some of the very issues that Dr. Smith presents, so I was familiar with, and intrigued by the information he presented. Essentially, he explores some of the issues and history behind the reasoning of American slaves when deciding to stay enslaved and fight with, or at their masters' bidding, or whether to take a chance and flee in hopes of gaining their freedom. Since these were the days before the Underground Railroad was established, they could hope to make it to the British lines and freedom, or make for Florida, where the Spanish welcomed them as a buffer against the Americans who wanted to expand their slave-holding territory. Neither choice was ideal, nor was the outcome guaranteed as territory changed hands. It was also the first I had ever heard of the Patriot War, fought in Florida during the War of 1812. I was anxious to know more about that now that I live here.
The Slaves' Gamble is not a very large book, but it is organized and presented in a way which makes it very accessible to the casual reader. If you want to know more about a largely unexplored topic which had a profound influence on the United States during the critical War of 1812, this is the perfect book.
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