Slaves in the Family [J0132]

1998 - PB Nice clean condition. Explores the slave-holding dynasty of Elias Ball, a South Carolina plantation owner, the history of slave uprisings, and the memories of the descendants of those slaves. Journalist Ball confronts the legacy of his family's slave-owning past, uncovering the story of the people, both black and white, who lived and worked on the Balls' South Carolina plantations. It is an unprecedented family record that reveals how the painful legacy of slavery continues to endure in America's collective memory and experience. Ball, a descendant of one of the largest slave-owning families in the South, discovered that his ancestors owned 25 plantations, worked by nearly 4,000 slaves.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Interesting oral and genealogical history. It's always cool to examine such broad time periods from a specific familial lens."; "This story is history, genealogy, geography, grief, love, respect, disrespect, and anthropology all rolled into one and presented by Mr. Ball in manner that I felt we were sitting in a cozy nook having a chat. His statistics don't overrun the words and the depth of his research is never-ending."; "This book provides incredibly important insight into the lives of slave owners and slaves in Charleston, South Carolina, with rare records that have survived from the Ball family plantations. The author reckons with his family's evil deeds and seeks out the ancestors of slaves owned by his family to tell a tragic yet fascinating story that is greatly important in our collective American history."