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American Uprising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt Audiobook
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(3.38) - 16 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In January 1811, five hundred slaves dressed in military uniforms and armed with guns, cane knives, and axes rose up from the plantations around New Orleans and set out to conquer the city. Ethnically diverse, politically astute, and highly organized, this self-made army challenged not only the economic system of plantation agriculture but also American expansion. Their march represented the largest act of armed resistance against slavery in the history of the United States.
American Uprising is the riveting and long-neglected story of this elaborate plot, the rebel army's dramatic march on the city, and its shocking conclusion. No North American slave uprising—not Gabriel Prosser's, not Denmark Vesey's, not Nat Turner's—has rivaled the scale of this rebellion either in terms of the number of the slaves involved or the number who were killed. More than one hundred slaves were slaughtered by federal troops and French planters, who then sought to write the event out of history and prevent the spread of the slaves' revolutionary philosophy. With the Haitian revolution a recent memory and the War of 1812 looming on the horizon, the revolt had epic consequences for America.
Through groundbreaking original research, Daniel Rasmussen offers a window into the young, expansionist country, illuminating the early history of New Orleans and providing new insight into the path to the Civil War and the slave revolutionaries who fought and died for justice and the hope of freedom.
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"Not done with it yet, but it has done a great job bringing this previously unknown event to life for me. Incredible that things like this were essentially written out of the history books. "
— Kevin (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Chilling and suspenseful.”
— New York Times -
Impressive work by an up-and-coming historian.
— Kirkus -
“[Listeners] will appreciate not just the historic recollection of the attempt to overcome the oppression of slavery but also the more recent developments that have recovered it from obscurity.”
— Booklist -
“This is a welcome addition to popular history and an engaging read for anyone interested in this important chapter in the tragic story of American slavery.”
— Library Journal -
“Impressive work by an up-and-coming historian.”
— Kirkus Reviews
American Uprising Listener Reviews
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" Sheds light on not only the nearly-forgotten 1811 slave rebellion, but large swaths of American history that need to be examined. "
— Sarah, 5/25/2011 -
" This was a really interesting story, and the author clearly is very good at historical research. The writing read a bit too much like the senior thesis it started as and could've benefitted from a more experienced coauthor. Still, an interesting, largely untold story worth the read <br/> "
— Amanda, 5/22/2011 -
" I did enjoy the way this book was written, however I wished that there was more information regarding the key players involved in the revolt. All in all, a good read. "
— Jody, 4/27/2011 -
" Interesting facts, reads like an American history textbook. All in all, I would read it again as I learned much about the South and the period of slavery. "
— Rose, 4/5/2011 -
" Fascinating, inspiring, devastating. What else could you ask for from a book? "
— Dale, 2/25/2011 -
" I really liked this book. It told of a the largest slave uprising (New Orleans)that seems to have been systematically suppressed. It is well written and interesting. The problem for me is simply it's brevity. Perhaps the author lacked orginal source material to write much more. "
— John, 2/17/2011 -
" A nice intro to an otherwise lost piece of American history. This was a quick read, but this was a great look at the heroism of a group of men fighting for their freedom and the freedom of their friends and families. "
— Andy, 2/14/2011
About Daniel Rasmussen
Daniel Rasmussen graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University in 2009, where he studied history and literature with a focus on American slavery and the nineteenth-century American South. He won the Kathryn Ann Huggins Prize, the Perry Miller Prize, and the Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize, Harvard’s top undergraduate academic honor.
About David Drummond
David Drummond has made his living as an actor for over twenty-five years, appearing on stages large and small throughout the country and in Seattle, Washington, his hometown. He has narrated over thirty audiobooks, in genres ranging from current political commentary to historical nonfiction, fantasy, military, thrillers, and humor. He received an AudioFile Earphones Award for his first audiobook, Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay. When not narrating, he keeps busy writing plays and stories for children.