Race in the Making: Cognition, Culture, and the Child's Construction of Human Kinds (Learning, Development, and Conceptual Change)

Book Description

Race in the Making provides a new understanding of how people conceptualize social categories and shows why this knowledge is so readily recruited to create and maintain systems of unequal power.

Hirschfeld argues that knowledge of race is not derived from observations of physical difference nor does it develop in the same way as knowledge of other social categories. Instead, his central claim is that racial thinking is the product of a special-purpose cognitive competence for understanding and representing human kinds. The book also challenges the conventional wisdom that race is purely a social construction by demonstrating that a common set of abstract principles underlies all systems of racial thinking, whatever other historical and cultural specificities may be associated with them.

Starting from the commonplace observation that race is a category of both power and the mind, Race in the Making directly tackles this issue. Through a sustained exploration of continuity and change in the child's notion of race and across historical variations in the race concept, Hirschfeld shows that a singular commonsense theory about human kinds constrains the way racial thinking changes, whether in historical time or during childhood.

After surveying the literature on the development of a cultural psychology of race, Hirschfeld presents original studies that examine children's (and occasionally adults') representations of race. He sketches how a jointly cultural and psychological approach to race might proceed, showing how this approach yields new insights into the emergence and elaboration of racial thinking.

Customer Reviews:

Empirically useful, conceptually silly.......2001-06-10

The common claim that young children have to be taught to distinguish races is simply not true. It has been studied extensively in controlled experiments. In Race in the Making, the liberal U. of Michigan anthropology professor Lawrence A. Hirschfeld sums up the findings: "As comforting as this view may be, children, I will show in this book, are more than aware of diversity; they are driven by endogenous curiosity to uncover it. Children, I will also show, do not believe race to be a superficial quality of the world. Multicultural curricula aside, few people believe that race is only skin deep. Certainly few 3-year-olds do. They believe that race is an intrinsic, immutable, and essential aspect of a person's identity. Moreover, they seem to come to this conclusion on their own. They do not need to be taught that race is a deep property, they know it themselves already."

For example, if you show preschoolers drawings of people and ask them to match the children with their parents, they will consistently tell you that the skinny white child is the child of the fat white parent, while the fat black child belongs to the skinny black parent (or vice-versa).

It seems obvious to me why little kids pay close attention to race. It's crucial for them to understand who is related to whom, and racial traits provide a more reliable guide than even body shape. (In technical terms, racial traits tend to be have higher narrow heritability coefficient than other traits like body shape.) The reason racial traits tend to be highly heritable and thus highly useful in multiracial situations for identifying family members is because race is family: a racial group is merely an extremely extended family that inbreeds to some degree.

Unfortunately, Hirschfeld gets himself tangled up in his own underwear trying to explain his findings. Being a good modern liberal, he believes that Race Does Not Exist. He never really gets himself untangled on this subject.He seems completely unaware of the fact that racial groups are just big extended families. In contrast, Occam's razor suggests that the reason we pay attention to racial resemblances is the same reason we pay attention to family resemblances.

Book Description

By the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

"After all these many years, with nary a competitor in sight nor hindsight, Mr. Hirschfeld remains the master-the undisputed Chairman of the Drawing Board."
-Larry Gelbart

Al Hirschfeld's line drawings are synonymous with the American theater, but his dynamic work for Hollywood films is only now gaining the attention it deserves. This fun, affordable paperback-which accompanies an exhibition at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences-showcases his marvelous artwork for movie posters, billboards, murals, and theater displays with images of film stars from Laurel and Hardy to the Marx Brothers, Fred Astaire, and Julia Roberts; and for classic movies such as The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, and The Manchurian Candidate. The entire world of cinema, as only Hirschfeld could portray it, unfolds in this radiant companion volume to Hirschfeld's New York.
115 illustrations, 45 in full color, 96 pages, 9 x 10"

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding artwork.......2005-04-07

Posters used to publicize movies are an art form that has largely been lost. Modern forms of publicity rely on computer-generated images, web sites and animation. Al Hirschfeld was one of the outstanding drawers of such posters and this is a collection of some of his best. Nearly all depict older movies or the stars of those movies, the most recent poster for a movie is from the early 1990's. There are also some figures of old stars that he drew for postage stamps.
I enjoyed the artwork, but I also enjoyed the nostalgic look back through a history of some of the greatest movies ever made and the stars that made them great. It is a history of the movies from a perspective quite different than reading about the plots and the trials and tribulations of making them.

All Hirschfeld.......2002-02-22

Everything about Hirschfeld was already said. He's a genius. He's the Line King. He's almost 100 years old. And he's alive. Get this damn book. Buy the old ones. Collect them. Buy the video. Cut his drawings from the Sunday NYTimes. Stop buying stupid eletronic gadgets, save the money, and then spend 2 thousand in an original lithograph. I did it. Twice. And there's nothing in the world that can make me feel better. Maybe another one.

Average customer rating:

Look at this as an investment
Genius in a bottle of ink

Hirschfeld's New York

Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Pen & Ink | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0810929740

Book Description

"A Hirschfeld vibrates and "pops," capturing a fleeting moment, and never looks back."
-Frank Rich

Remarkable for their movement and expression, conveyed with only a few well- placed strokes of a pen, the drawings of Al Hirschfeld (b. 1903) have beguiled the American public for nearly 80 years. His deft technical mastery and droll wit have earned him wide recognition as one of the top caricaturists of all time.

Coinciding with an exhibition of the artist's work at the Museum of the City of New York, this delightful, affordable paperback showcases, for the first time, the artist's irrepressible view of New York life. From 1920s Harlem to the Algonquin Round Table, these cunning scenes-elucidated by curator Clare Bell's text and an introduction by New York Times columnist Frank Rich-form a portrait of the city's vanished cultural landscape that is as irresistible as it is unique.
109 illustrations, 10 in full color, 96 pages, 9 x 10"

Customer Reviews:

Look at this as an investment.......2002-02-22

Buy this book. It's very very cheap. If you stop and visit online book sellers as Alibris or even Abe books, you'll find out that the average price for Hirschfeld's books is 200 dollars. They are all out of print now (except for Hirschfeld Online) and one day, this one will be too. So do yourself a favor: if not because the guy is a genius and the illustrations are all spectacular, buy this book because you are a smart investor.

Genius in a bottle of ink.......2002-01-25

When my son was seven, he used to eagerly check the arts and leisure section of the Sunday New York Times each weekend to see if there was a new drawing by the "Nina Man". If there was, there would follow an intense exploration of the drawing, usually followed by a crow of delight, "I found the Ninas!" The "Nina Man" is, of course, Al Hirschfeld, still merrily among us at 99, and Nina is the name of is daughter, ingeniously hidden among the pen strokes of whichever person he was caricaturing. Hirschfeld is, purely and simply, a genius; a simple drawing brings out not only a person but a persona. The drawings in the book represent some of the best of his work, which spans six decades; and although the caricatures are named at the foot of the pages, the reader will have a lot of fun not only recognizing who the people are without the help of the captions, but also -- yes -- in searching for and finding the Ninas.

The Best Plays of 1994-1995: The Otis Guernsey/Burns Mantle Theater Yearbook (Best Plays)

Average customer rating:

The Best Plays of 1994-1995: The Otis Guernsey/Burns Mantle Theater Yearbook (Best Plays)

Manufacturer: Proscenium Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

United States | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Hirschfeld 101
It's All Here...
An Amazing Gallery; An Extraordinary Career
"Nina"
A delightful collection of Hirschfeld's caricatures

Hirschfeld On Line
Al Hirschfeld
Manufacturer: Applause Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Criticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1557833567

Amazon.com

Al Hirschfeld is one of the greatest caricaturists ever to have put pen to paper, and this monumental retrospective is a testament to his genius. From '30s icons like actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine to the stars of Seinfeld, Hirschfeld's fluid line has limned some of the most enduring images of our favorite entertainers. The collection opens with a biographical essay by New York Times writer Mel Gussow that sketches the arc of Hirschfeld's career and the development of his reputation as a chronicler of American show business. Additional essays by Arthur Miller, Kurt Vonnegut, Whoopi Goldberg, and Hirschfeld's daughter Nina cast further light on the artist, but the bulk of the book is, of course, given over to his wonderful drawings. Hirschfeld has written that it is his aim to capture character, rather than caricature, and each of the hundreds of images reproduced here encapsulates its subject perfectly, without ever resorting to cruelty. After more than six decades, Hirschfeld has recorded the careers of generations of performers, and this collection further illuminates his work by including comments on each drawing by the artist himself, providing a delightful personal history of Broadway, Hollywood, and all points in between. --Simon Leake

Book Description

Over 400 Hirschfeld drawings and photographs - many never before collected. Includes essays by Whoopi Goldberg, Arthur Miller, Mel Gussow, Kurt Vonnegut, Grace Mirabella, Louise Kerz Hirschfeld and more! Commentary by Hirschfeld throughout.

Customer Reviews:

Hirschfeld 101.......2007-03-14

What a joy of a book. Not just the great grafics but very interestng information about the Great Hirschfeld

It's All Here..........2004-06-30

Here is the indispensible Hirschfeld book - a must for any fan of his work, or of line in general. From his earliest pieces, all the way through his long career with New York theatre, his work is showcased - and done so through his eyes. Each piece is described by this great artist - his inspirations, methods, and thoughts. I cannot imagine a better way to present his wonderful drawings, and I am so very, very thankful that this collection was printed before his death. Although, yes, the work would show just as beautifully without, his commentary alongside each piece just opens up an entirely new viewpoint. This is a truly timeless book, and I highly recommend it.

An Amazing Gallery; An Extraordinary Career.......2003-02-02

Al Hirschfeld rose above titles like "cartoonist" and "illustrator", and every other tag specifically applied to visual artists who inject design and humor into their work. His intelligent blend of the caricaturist's eye and the designer's sense of the beauty in flat forms add up to an entirely unique contribution to twentieth century popular culture- and a highly influential one. His recent passing at age 99 marks the end of the century that he witnessed and commented upon so wittily and so stylishly. His legions of admirers (and imitators) will be well served by this 1999 book, assembled by the artist himself, with an excellent selection from his career, his invaluable commentary, and a fairly satisying selection of his amazing (and less celebrated) color work. The reproductions are fine here, and the volume is designed and presented well. It can only be hoped that more comprehensive releases and reissues of earlier books are in the near future.

"Nina".......2000-01-15

I really enjoyed looking through this book. I am absolutely in love with theater and I love seeing how he depicts all of my favorite shows and actors. He's been through the "Golden Age" of theater and has also done so much work for modern entertainment. I also have tons of fun looking for all the hidden "Nina"s. Just in case you might not know what I'm talking about, let me explain. After his daughter was born, Hirschfield began hiding her name in his drawings. The number by his "signiture" indicates the number of "Nina"s in the drawing. "Nina" is also written all in caps. Because of this, this book is not going to be just some ordinary coffee table book that only his fans might check out. It could also be a great deal of amusement for those who like to play the kind of "Where's Waldo" games.

A delightful collection of Hirschfeld's caricatures.......1999-05-26

I bought this book as a gift for my husband, and I fell in love with with the book myself. I recently visited the Delaware River Museum and saw my first in-person Hirschfeld line drawing of George C. Scott housed in the museum. Mr. Hirschfeld captures a personality with the stroke of a few lines. This book is wonderful. It has inspired my husband, a professional artist, to study Mr. Hirschfeld's style, and I found my husband doing line drawings yesterday. Packed with 400 drawings and photographs, this is a "must have" book for any Hirschfeld follower.

Average customer rating:

I wish I didn't buy this book.
Cool idea, insufficient execution
A nice once over
Look before you buy
wonderful layout, full of incredible inspirational media art

Pause :59 Minutes of Motion Graphics
Julie Hirschfeld , Stefanie Barth , Peter Hall , and Andrea Codrington
Manufacturer: Universe Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Digital Photography | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Digital Effects | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0789304775
Release Date: 2000-05-19

Amazon.com

All creatives need to go to a museum now and then; it's inspiring, encouraging, and refreshing. The problem that motion-graphics artists face is the lack of venues in which to present their work. Pause :59 Minutes of Motion Graphics is a showcase that helps fill that void; an oasis of images that are designed to enlighten and motivate.

This oversized softcover (which uses time code instead of page numbers) presents some of the finest work from a global pool, 300 lavish frames that illustrate the best in contemporary video design, motion graphics, and animation. This collection--featuring such luminary studios as The Attik and MTV, and individual artists like Mike Mills and Richard Kennworthy--is not to be missed. It's a shame that the pictures don't move.

In fact, if there's anything to complain about, it's the fact that there's no accompanying video, CD-ROM, or DVD to display the stunning work in this book properly. Even a Web site with QuickTime clips would have allowed readers to study and admire the work as it was meant to be presented.

If you create animation--or plan to--or do anything that's related to video, film, or motion graphics, you should read this book. Eye-popping, international, and oozing with creativity, Pause :59 Minutes of Motion Graphics belongs not on your shelf, but on your desk; open, accessible, and well worn. --Mike Caputo

Book Description

With its dynamic synthesis of such diverse media as film, animation, graphics and music, video design provides an expansive view into the many states of contemporary creativity. Pause tracks and contextualizes the visual and technological treends that mark the work of the most innovative video designers. As well as broadcast work, Pause examines demo reels, music videos, film titles, animation and experimental 3-D graphics.

Contributing video artists include Tomato, The Attik, Intro, MTV, Fuel, Tycoon Graphics, Richard Kennworthy, Mike Mills and many others from the US, UK, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, Scandinavia and other countries. Work is arranged according to type, rather than author or history, and each chapter is devoted to a theme, with a short introduction. The book also includes an introductory essay and timeline on the development of motion graphics since the widespread acceptance of television.

Customer Reviews:

I wish I didn't buy this book........2007-03-18

I had bought this book because it was "Required Reading" for one of my classes in art college. Not worth buying. Each page features storyboards of various motion graphics commercials/video art (and not even the best motion graphics at that). If I could return it, I'd return it right away. If you're an art student and you're a motion graphics art student, and you're required to buy this book for class, please don't waste your money. You are better off reviewing reels of commercials on company websites and learning from them. The choices of work in this particular book are terrible. The art/color is very mediocre and most seemed to have been released in the 1990's. Much of commercials/motion graphics nowadays are very sophisticated and artsy. You'd learn a lot more by watching the commercials on t.v.

If you are a student, please save your money for your bus fare/train commuting, or better yet save it as lunch money.

Cool idea, insufficient execution.......2001-07-09

This should have been a CD-ROM or DVD product. The stills did nothing to inspire or educate me on motion graphic techniques. Nice philosophic text though.

A nice once over.......2000-11-16

I read this in a sushi restaurant, or rather perused it. The brief bits of text that capped each segment seemed ... inconsequential. Nice ideas at times, but most weren't developed. The design was great, well worth a few hours attention, but better to borrow than to buy. Cinematic works can rarely be broken down to key frames, but the compilers of this book did a good job of that, capturing the essence of the spot (or at least why they were excited by it) in a half dozen shots. I would have loved a VCD or DVD with the book, but no such luck.

Look before you buy.......2000-10-12

I'm not sure what I expected, but I was certainly glad I didn'tbuy it.

'Pause' takes several commercials and displays roughly16-20 frames of each one. The advantage is that most of thesecommercials aren't available to one audience (the USA, for example).

Yes, it's a neat looking, well-designed, oversized thing to hold.There WERE some inspiring things in there. However, in my opinionit's NOT a $35 dollar book. It makes a nice first impression, but inthe end it felt like a very high-end, $20 design industry magazine.It should have been priced as such.

wonderful layout, full of incredible inspirational media art.......2000-08-01

I just picked this book up in NY and I'm blown away. Every time I eye it on my shelf I have to stop what I'm doing and pull it out, sit on the floor, and pour over the pages... This is wonderful art for the generation X/Y age group. Not to cram too many buzzwords into this review, but this stuff really is on the edge... it's out there... I'll be a happy man is this is the direction the art world takes in the next few years...

Book Description

Teaching suggestions, reproducible worksheets, and answer keys form this elementary, yet comprehensive, course in German pronunciation. The accompanying video and audio cassettes feature three clowns (Sim, Sala, and Bim) and their magician friend Heinrich. Written entirely in German, this course is excellent for class or independent study.

Detective: The Inspirational Story of the Trailblazing Woman Cop Who Wouldn't Quit

Average customer rating:

Great Read
Great read
No sympathy for a woman cop

Detective: The Inspirational Story of the Trailblazing Woman Cop Who Wouldn't Quit
Kathy Burke , and Neal Hirschfeld
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Law Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0743283929

Book Description

In 1968, 1 percent of the New York City Police Department was female. When Kathy Burke joined the NYPD's ranks in June of that year she was one of only ten women in a class of 950 recruits. But the determined Burke had no doubt that she was born to be a cop, and in her twenty-three-year career she rose to be the most highly decorated female detective in the NYPD's history. Detective is her story.

By turns caustic, funny, and matter-of-fact, Burke describes what it was like for a young woman to be surrounded by often hostile male officers and the uphill battle she fought to prove herself and earn their respect. But earn it she did. From her beginnings as an undercover cop making drug buys on New York's most dangerous streets to posing as Mrs. Patz to capture extortionists in the Etan Patz case to investigating the Mafia, Burke worked in some of the NYPD's most elite units on its most high-profile cases, eventually rising to the rank of detective first grade, the very highest in the detective bureau.

Burke vividly portrays every aspect of a cop's experience, taking readers from the discos where she flirted with drug dealers to the halls of Congress, where she testified about drugs and corruption with a paper bag over her head (to protect her undercover persona), to a deserted street in Queens where a tragic shooting would forever change her career and her life. Burke is brutally honest in her criticism of NYPD leadership and corruption within the department, in her accounts of the physical and emotional toll taken by the job that she loved, and in her descriptions of the sacrifices -- sometimes even the greatest sacrifice of all -- that cops must make.

Detective is a revelatory and inspirational story of life lived without apology, of stubborn courage, and of a woman who triumphed over doubts, recrimination, and personal tragedy to truly become "one of New York's Finest."

Customer Reviews:

Great Read.......2007-02-21

This story kept me in the edge, I couldn't put the book down. Thankfully it wasn't 1,000 pages, I stayed up all night just to finish it. ALL NYPD cops should be mandated to read this book.

Great read.......2006-09-21

"Detective" belongs on the same shelf as Robin Moore's "French Connection" and Peter Maas's "Serpico." Kathy Burke's career with the NYPD was exciting, contentious, tragic--yet ultimately groundbreaking and triumphant. Burke battled crooks, killers, corrupt cops, nasty superior officers, and her own demons. That she had the guts to deal with all that--and more--is the fuel that propels this compelling book.

No sympathy for a woman cop.......2006-09-17

This is a straight forward, kick you in the balls book of what it is like to be a woman cop.
The book concludes with a revelation of the two NYC rogue cops, Eppolito and Caracappa, who sold their souls to the Mafia and thus affected so many people's lives with their corrupt actions. This officer, Kathy Burke, was adversely affected in lifelonghorrible way. There's a great deal of undercover stories detailed here, sexual harrassment, love between cops--both plutonic and sexual. Officer Burke describes so much, including receiving the medal of Honor from Mayor Koch.
But in the end, she concludes, she has her self esteem and dignity. For the reader, its those two good for nothing turncoat cops that betrayed all that was good around them.

George Washington and Slavery: A Documentary Portrayal

Average customer rating:

Slavery and its impact on the Founder of our Nation
Hindsight is indeed 20/20.
Yet another blatant attempt to impugn the founding father
Very riveting version of history not found in usual classes.

George Washington and Slavery: A Documentary Portrayal
Fritz Hirschfeld
Manufacturer: University of Missouri Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Slavery & Emancipation | World | History | Subjects | Books

Discrimination & Racism | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

AN IMPERFECT GOD: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America

ASIN: 0826211356

Customer Reviews:

Slavery and its impact on the Founder of our Nation.......2003-06-23

This was an excellent text, rivaling the great "Founding Brothers - The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis. It addresses the fundamental question I have always had; how could slavery continue (thrive) in a "free" nation? I have been reading a lot about the Founding Fathers with the central purpose of answering this very question. This book "George Washington & Slavery" includes many quotes and letters from the general that specifically addresses the slavery issue. It uses Washington and his contemporaries own letters to paint a story of our most famous founding father and his viewpoint on Blacks and slavery.

It begins by discussing how Washington obtained his large slave population through his marriage with Martha. It tells us that Washington was your typical (although meticulous) plantation owner. The Mount Vernon Estate was the most envied in the land. This was due to not only Washington's management but also slave labor. You get a strong since of how important slavery was to the every day needs of our most esteemed founding father.

However, Washington changed his views about Blacks during the Revolutionary War when he initiated enlisting Blacks into the Army (in the North not the South). Unfortunately, this was only done as a last resort after British Lord Cornwallis had announced that Black slaves could seek freedom if they took up arms with the British. It was then that Washington, faced with a mounting slave force with weapons, decided it was a smart strategy to allow Blacks to serve for the colonies.

What was most disappointing about Washington is that he was well aware of several Blacks with courage, intelligence and character. This book tells us about the Black poetess Phyllis Wheatley who was highly regarded for her literature (Washington once wrote her and he did addressed her with respect). There were several slaves that fought valiantly in the Revolutionary War and won recognition from Washington and other generals. He was always known to be fair on the battlefield with both his White and Black soldiers. There are several notably slaves such as his own Billy Lee that stood side by side with Washington through even his military battles. Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette often wrote Washington about the abolition of slavery? In fact, Lafayette wrote Washington about the large-scale emancipation of slaves in the French colony of Cayenne, the capital city of what is now known as Guiana. Therefore, Washington not only had first hand knowledge that Blacks were capable individuals, but also that slavery could and had been abolished in another part of the world. Washington still was willing to sit idle while hundreds of thousands were destined to a life of bondage.

At one time the Washington estate housed over 400 slaves (including children). They catered to the every needs of the Washingtons. Martha Washington had personally eleven slaves to perform her cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. This book was full of letters by the Washington's regarding their slaves. It indicated that the Washingtons were fair and reasonable with their slave labor. In fact, the only time George revolted punitively was in regard to runaways.

The last will and testament of George Washington was to free his slaves. This is good, but in my opinion is not enough to remove the stain of slavery in his life. Even though he was fair to his slaves, he could have set in motion (or at least continued the existing momentum) emancipation in this country. The original impression I had before was that Whites during our revolutionary time lived in an environment where slavery was an unchallenged institution. This book and others indicate that there was a growing abolition movement in this country that began at the nations' founding.

I get the impression from Washington and the other Founding Fathers that they realized slavery was wrong. Of course it would have been hard to move towards abolition. It is always difficult to give up status and an economic advantage. Power and privilege are always difficult to give up. And even if Washington could give up the Presidency of the United States he could not find himself to give up the comforts of slavery while he was living. This was a question about power and the need to feel superior to others. Emancipation would have been challenged by his fellow southern plantation owners. Of course it would have been challenged and certainly unpopular, but many ideas are challenged. The Founders including Washington could have provided freedom for slaves after they reach an appropriate age. This was a strategy employed by the northern states. He could have been more outspoken and introduced a plan to gradually rid the country of this egregious sin. The question is whether this is worth fighting for. There are many examples where Washington put his life on the line for ideas he felt were worth the fight. Was the fight was worth it? Fighting a war against the world's largest Army was hard and many thought suicidal. But you fight for things that you believe in and ideas that are worth it. That was one of the themes of the revolution. In Washington's opinion (and most other key leaders of our nation at that time), the plight, hopes, dreams, viewpoints, feelings and freedom of Blacks were not worth the fight.

Hindsight is indeed 20/20........2001-11-26

Mr. Hirschfeld has put a lot of time and research into this work and has turned out a good look at Washington the slave owner. He like the writers of recent attacks on T. Jefferson however forget to tell the whole story. Early in the 21st century it is easy to look back and see what an evil slavery was. The fact that we weren't raised being told that slavery was not only acceptable but a positive good makes our viewpoint much eaiser. Washington like Jefferson was raised by people who told him slavery was indeed a good thing. The society he grew up in and probably even his ministers told him the same thing. Hirschfeld's work is lacking in that he doesn't point out that by ever beginning to see the wrongs of the slave system Washington had shown a great deal of moral growth. Otherwise this is a fine book that examines an area of Washington's life that does deserve attention.

Yet another blatant attempt to impugn the founding father.......1999-11-04

The author's work is certainly exhaustively researched, and thus has much to offer to any student of Washington, and of slavery itself. However, I take umbrage to the notion of conducting a limited analysis on the character of Washington, as inferred solely from his reluctant acceptance of the institution of slavery. Had the author been born into a southern plantation family in the late eighteenth century, I wonder if his intractable views on slavery would have been quite as pronounced.

Very riveting version of history not found in usual classes........1998-09-07

This was a very well research historical view of George Washington that is not presented in normal history classes. While it is known that he owned slaves, this book provides a gateway to allow the reader to step back through time to get a true sense of what it was like to be "owned" by General Washington.

The photocopies of actual hand written letters about recapturing his runaway slaves shows him to be a vindictive person who had no conflict over being a staunch freedom fighter while owning slaves at the same time. Duh!

While some apologists for him say that he was a benevolent owner, the fact remains that his "employees" worked over 12 hours each day, seven days a week with neither a salary nor a 401k.

The book also points out a very clever concealment of the "fugutive slave law" in the constitution. (Section 2 article 4) that George spearheaded.

After reading this work one can see that his slave plantation was every bit as horrific as anything to be found in Treblenka, Bergen-Belsen or Dauchau.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books