A madman's will : John Randolph, 400 slaves, and the mirage of freedom / Gregory May.
"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. 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"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781324092216
- ISBN: 1324092211
- Physical Description: xxiii, 382 pages : illustrations, maps, genealogical tables ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition
- Publisher: New York : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, [2023]
- Copyright: ©2023
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Randolph-Tucker family tree -- A death in Philadelphia -- Burial at Roanoke -- Rumors -- Heirs at law -- Search for the will -- The slaves' defenders -- A celebrity trial -- The meaning of madness -- John White's Roanoke -- A decade in chancery -- Promised land -- Another Canaan -- Appendix A. People and places -- Appendix B. Chronology -- Appendix C. Manumission register.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Randolph, John, 1773-1833 > Will.
Randolph, John, 1773-1833 > Estate.
Enslaved persons > Emancipation > Virginia > History > 19th century.
Probate law and practice > Virginia > History > 19th century.
Freed persons > Legal status, laws, etc. > Ohio > History > 19th century.
Freed persons > Ohio > History > 19th century.
African Americans > Ohio > History > 19th century.
Available copies
- 16 of 17 copies available at NC Cardinal.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library. (Show)
Holds
- 0 current holds with 17 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swansboro Branch Library | 306.362 MAY (Text) | 36015000575700 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Albert Carlton - Cashiers Community Library | 306.3 M (Text) | 39493110078211 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| BHM Headquarters Library | 346.7305 (Text) | 38344101801163 | Adult Nonfiction | In process | - |
| Braswell Memorial Main Library | 346.7305 MAY (Text) | 37807000053033 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Eden Library | 346.7305 M (Text) | 31554010928801 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Government and Heritage Library | 973.5 M466m (Text) | 33091008348195 | Adult Storage Nonfiction | Available | - |
| High Point Library | 306.362 May (Text) | 30519010879826 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Hudson (Fontana) | 306.3 MAY (Text) | 39493109270639 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Marion Library | 306.362 MAY (Text) | 37810435803894 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Mocksville | 306.362 MAY (Text) | 39872001995502 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
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| 245 | 1 | 2. | ‡aA madman's will : ‡bJohn Randolph, 400 slaves, and the mirage of freedom / ‡cGregory May. |
| 246 | 3 | 0. | ‡aJohn Randolph, 400 slaves, and the mirage of freedom |
| 246 | 3 | . | ‡aJohn Randolph, four hundred slaves, and the mirage of freedom |
| 250 | . | ‡aFirst edition | |
| 264 | 1. | ‡aNew York : ‡bLiveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, ‡c[2023] | |
| 264 | 4. | ‡c©2023 | |
| 300 | . | ‡axxiii, 382 pages : ‡billustrations, maps, genealogical tables ; ‡c24 cm | |
| 336 | . | ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent | |
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| 504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references and index. | |
| 505 | 0 | . | ‡aRandolph-Tucker family tree -- A death in Philadelphia -- Burial at Roanoke -- Rumors -- Heirs at law -- Search for the will -- The slaves' defenders -- A celebrity trial -- The meaning of madness -- John White's Roanoke -- A decade in chancery -- Promised land -- Another Canaan -- Appendix A. People and places -- Appendix B. Chronology -- Appendix C. Manumission register. |
| 520 | . | ‡a"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. 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"-- ‡cProvided by publisher. | |
| 600 | 1 | 0. | ‡aRandolph, John, ‡d1773-1833 ‡xWill. |
| 600 | 1 | 0. | ‡aRandolph, John, ‡d1773-1833 ‡xEstate. |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aEnslaved persons ‡xEmancipation ‡zVirginia ‡xHistory ‡y19th century. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aProbate law and practice ‡zVirginia ‡xHistory ‡y19th century. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aFreed persons ‡xLegal status, laws, etc. ‡zOhio ‡xHistory ‡y19th century. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aFreed persons ‡zOhio ‡xHistory ‡y19th century. | |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aAfrican Americans ‡zOhio ‡xHistory ‡y19th century. | |
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