“Simply amazing—a brilliant tour d'horizon of 250 years of American thinking and writing about slavery.”
—James T. Campbell, author of Middle Passages
“Spillman shows us the stakes regarding the history of slavery could not be higher. Brilliant, biting, and timely.”
—Kellie Carter Jackson, author of We Refuse
“A breathtaking survey . . . essential reading for anyone who hopes to come to terms with America’s tortured past.”
—James Oakes, author of Freedom National
“An essential book.”
—David A. Bell, Princeton University
excerpts & outtakes
On the study of slave songs: “The Sorrow Songs” [note on sources]
On David Brion Davis and slavery: "The Problem of Slavery"
talks & events
On slavery and the university: “Reckoning with Slavery in US Intellectual History and the University”
other
On research at the Columbia Rare Book and Manuscript Library: “Scott Spillman on Stanley Elkins and Eric McKitrick”