Slavery, Propaganda, and the American Revolution
Based on a thorough reading of 18th-century pamphlets and newspapers plus an impressive array of secondary works, this book offers an important new interpretation of American attitudes about slavery and blacks during the Revolutionary era. Bradley demonstrates that by the late 1760s Samuel Adams was the top agent directing the patriot press and that the press largely ignored the slavery issue. When black servants or slaves were mentioned at all, the patriot press usually portrayed them as deceitful, unreliable, or dangerous. There were many antislavery crusaders during the period, but their pamphlets and newspapers did not have the same circulation as the major patriot organs. Moreover, antislavery groups like the Quakers were suspected of being sympathetic to Britain, which weakened their influence on the broad American public. This original study is highly recommended for academic and large public libraries.?Thomas J. Schaeper, St. Bonaventure Univ., NYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.