The Strange History of the American Quadroon: Free Women of Color in the Revolutionary Atlantic World
"This volume is a vault of information whose contents have been carefully mined from a wide variety of primary sources."--Southern Humanities Review"Clark's thoroughly researched and beautifully written book replaces the simplistic and stereotypical accounts we have inherited from previous generations of scholars."--American Historical Review"Clark tells a masterful story of the quadroon's migration from the Caribbean to the United States, surfacing in Philadelphia, and settling in New Orleans. . . . Scholars will find this book fascinating."--Early American Literature"This study, a welcome addition to the story of Louisiana, the South, and U.S. social history, separates fact from legend, thus creating an understanding of complex social structure in a part of the U.S. often considered to be morally and politically exotic. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above."--Choice"Jump[ing] headlong into [the] intersection of history, memory and mythmaking. . . Clark offers a credible alternative history. . . [and] eloquent and persuasive evidence that race was not simply a byproduct of slavery's racism, but was diligently and deliberately produced. It will surely prove impossible to look at the American quadroon the same way again."--H-Law"Richly-researched and compelling. . . . Dr. Clark's work does not disappoint. Her scholarship clears away the smoke and pulls back the veils on much received wisdom, revealing just how empowered, and how impressive our women of color ancestors could be. . . . A page turner."--Huffington PostBlog"In her lively, comprehensive book, Clark broaches society's historical fascination with quadroons. . . . [She] weaves real-life examples with an encyclopedic overview of the widespread effects both the American and Haitian Revolutions had on cultural perceptions of a nebulous social class."--Publishers Weekly"Clark has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the intertwined histories of race and gender in early New Orleans. Recommended for academic readers."--Library Journal