Denmark Vesey

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Much is already known about Denmark Vesey, who purchased his freedom from slavery in 1800 with money he won in a lottery. Yet his apparently sudden transformation from successful free black carpenter and property owner to the organizer of "the most elaborate and well-planned slave insurrection in U.S. history," in 1822, still fuels lingering curiosity. Evoking the atmosphere of material wealth enjoyed by antebellum South Carolina whites, Robertson reveals their fear at being surrounded by a black slave population whose labor made their comfort possible but who outnumbered them four to one. Drawing on the correspondence and memoirs of whites and their descendants--but not of blacks--Robertson addresses his central question: "Why were individual freedom and prosperity not enough for Denmark Vesey?" The author's answer, which links Vesey's dissatisfaction and that of the thousands of slaves who were reputedly ready to join him in arms to the spiritual autonomy he achieved through the African Methodist Episcopal Church, is persuasive. Furthermore, Robertson identifies Vesey as a spiritual and political leader whose views were a precursor to modern Black Theology. Based on the word of a slave informant, Vesey and more than 20 slaves were hanged as insurrectionists in the summer of 1822, despite little physical evidence. Robertson's well-researched narrative and smooth style make this an intellilgent analysis of, as well as a worthy tribute to, his subject. Photos not seen by PW. Aug. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Robertson's carefully considered revisionist work tells the story of Denmark Vesey, a slave who purchased his own freedom and after 22 years organized what would have been (had he not been betrayed by informers) the most elaborate and well-planned slave rebellion in United States history. Through his appeal to negritude and religion, with himself as the black Messiah, Vesey--by then almost 60 years old--recruited about 9000 slaves and black freedmen in a failed attempt to seize the arsenal and ships at Charleston harbor, burn the city, and murder the entire white population. Robertson (Booth: A Novel) discusses the aftermath of the attempted slave revolt and analyzes its national, social, and political consequences. Charleston eventually became the most fortified city in the nation. This well-written and meticulously researched biography sheds new light on various aspects of Vesey's attempted revolt, providing excellent notes for each chapter, a brief biography of each of those executed with Vesey in 1822, but unfortunately no bibliography. Nevertheless, the author has succeeded in putting together a very interesting and useful biography, the first in decades. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/99.]--Edward G. McCormack, Univ. of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Lib., Long Beach Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Booknews

Tells the story of Denmark Vesey's attempt to launch the largest slave rebellion in the history of the US in 1822. Brings to life an extraordinary man who, though he had lived and prospered as a freed black for 20 years, was willing to risk everything to liberate his people. Reveals how Vesey was able to recruit large numbers of blacks to a messianic crusade for freedom, and details the aftermath of the failed insurrection, including Vesey's trial and execution, and analyzes its social and political consequences. The author has published biography, fiction, and poetry. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Kirkus Reviews

A fascinating historical detective story about an abortive 1822 slave insurrection in Charleston, S.C. Little survives in the historical record about Denmark Vesey, the free black who masterminded what could have been the most devastating uprising in American history. We don't know where this former slave (he bought his freedom and became a prosperous carpenter) was born, the site of his execution and grave, or even what he looked like. In fact, nearly all copies of the chief record of the event, an official report of his trial, were confiscated and burned, being considered too dangerous for slaves to see. Just rumors of the plot terrified Charlestonians, for Vesey and his recruits intended to assassinate the governor and other high elected state officials, torch the city, murder the entire white population, including children, and escape to either Haiti or Africa. The plot was exposed, and by the end of the summer Vesey (who never confessed) and 76 followers were either executed or imprisoned. Despite its failure, the revolt had major consequences. John C. Calhoun, then secretary of war, began building up Charleston's defenses until by the start of the Civil War it was the most heavily fortified city in the US. Robertson, a novelist (Booth, 1998) and biographer (Sly and Able: A Political Biography of James F. Byrnes, 1994), deftly teases out tantalizing clues from the testimony without pushing his speculation too far. The book's most intriguing aspect is his depiction of Vesey (who may have been a Muslim) as a forerunner of Malcolm X in his haughty charisma, his advocacy of black economic independence and Africanism, and his insistence on doing "everything that is necessary" tostrike at the whites he held responsible for his people's degradation. Robertson's thoughtful chronicle restores to the record a powerful figure whose story continues to challenge America's vision of itself as a place of equality and harmony. (8 pages b&w photos, not seen)