A Madman's Will : John Randolph, 400 Slaves, and the Mirage of Freedom

May, Gregory 1953- (author.). Heller, Johnny. (Added Author). hoopla digital. (Added Author).

Summary: Few legal cases in American history are as riveting as the controversy surrounding the will of Virginia Senator John Randolph (1773-1833), which-almost inexplicably-freed all 383 of his slaves in one of the largest and most publicized manumissions in American history. So famous is the case that Ta-Nehisi Coates has used it to condemn Randolph's cousin, Thomas Jefferson, for failing to free his own slaves. With this groundbreaking investigation, historian Gregory May now reveals a more surprising story, showing how madness and scandal shaped John Randolph's wildly shifting attitudes toward his slaves-and how endemic prejudice in the North ultimately deprived the freedmen of the land Randolph had promised them. Sweeping from the legal spectacle of the contested will through the freedmen's dramatic flight and horrific reception in Ohio, A Madman's Will is an extraordinary saga about the alluring promise of freedom and its tragic limitations.

Record details

ISBN: 1666641251
ISBN: 9781666641257
Physical Description: 1 online resource (1 audio file (8hr., 38 min.)) : digital.
remote
access
electronic resource
electronic
Edition: Unabridged.
Publisher: [United States] : Dreamscape Media, 2023.
Distributor: Made available through hoopla

Content descriptions

Restrictions on Access Note:	Digital content provided by hoopla.
Participant or Performer Note:	Read by Johnny Heller.
System Details Note:	Mode of access: World Wide Web.