''Slaves in the Family'' (1998) is a biographical historical account written by
Edward Ball, whose family historically owned large plantations and numerous slaves in
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
.
Synopsis
The author explores his family origins, dating to his English immigrant ancestors to America and their becoming major planters in South Carolina. Finding that his family plantations kept extensive records, he traces
slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
families and individuals held by his ancestors. Ball follows the stories of these people over many years as the families dispersed. Over time, his family earned the reputation as "the most prominent of
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
owners."
The author explores
genealogy
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...
and history, via interviewing descendants from both groups. The African-American families included
mixed-race
Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...
descendants of one or more of his white family ancestors. Stories from the black families are intense and varied, practically lacking in any kind of bitterness. The book depicts his family as being not the cruelest of slave owners.
Awards
*
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors.
The Nat ...
(1998)
*
Ambassador Book Award
The Ambassador Book Award (1986–2011) was presented annually by the English-Speaking Union. It recognized important literary and non-fiction works that contributed to the understanding and interpretation of American life and culture. Winners of ...
for American Studies (1999)
*
''New York Times'' bestseller
See also
*
Children of the plantation
"Children of the plantation" is a euphemism and term used that refers to ancestry tracing back to the time of slavery in the United States in which the offspring was born to black African female slaves (either still in the state of slavery or f ...
, a euphemism to describe the mixed-race offspring of enslaved women and their white owners or overseers
References
External links
PBSMacmillan
1998 non-fiction books
American biographies
Ambassador Book Award-winning works
National Book Award for Nonfiction winning works
Books about South Carolina
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