ROMANCE

The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway & the Slaves' Civil War

by David S. Cecelski
Univ. of North Carolina. 2012. c.352p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780807835661. $30. HIST
COPY ISBN
Cecelski (The Waterman's Song: Slavery and Freedom in Maritime North Carolina) tells the story of Abraham Galloway, a slave who escaped from the South before the Civil War. He became a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement and the struggle for black equality. He served as a spy during the first part of the Civil War, then as a political organizer and state senator representing Wilmington, North Carolina.
VERDICT Cecelski's book is important because it shows how slaves were not "given" their freedom by Union armies and politicians, but that they fought for and earned that freedom. Unfortunately, the historical record has left huge gaps in the record of important portions of Galloway's life, and Cecelski is forced into conjecture based on the recorded experiences of individuals in similar circumstances. Nevertheless, this portrait of an important American will appeal to those with an interest in African American political history during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras as well as those with an interest in North Carolina history.
Reviewed by MF , Nov 15, 2012
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