Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book Review - Essay Example In these chapters, Campbell shows how slaves arrived in Texas, whose population increased from around 5,000 to over 160,000, thereby composing over 30 percent of the region’s population by 1860. In the other parts of the book, Campbell provides a survey examining the standpoints of the slave owners, and the economic conditions, life, and culture of the slaves. Through this, Campbell demonstrates his grasp and understanding of a wide array of sources, and utilizes 181 slave narratives from the Federal Writers Project interviews, which he uses in a quantitative analysis. There are several extensive studies on the thirteen out of the fifteen states that allowed slavery during that era. Texas is one of the two states that lack relevant research on this topic. Campbell sees this issue and decides to resolve it by producing this empirical work that uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to that explains five fundamental topics: 1) the development and escalation of s lavery; 2) the psychological and physical conditions of slavery; 3) impact of slavery to slave owners either individually or collectively; 4) legal and economic functions of slavery; and, 5) effect of Civil War to slavery. Campbell presents a few statements regarding the uniqueness of the conditions of slavery in Texas. For one, since Texas was originally within Mexico’s jurisdiction, and since Mexico is opposed to slavery, this situation created a group of black people who were considered bondsmen for a year less than a century. These blacks were neither slaves nor free people. Similarly, freed slaves who remained in Texas were viewed as neither citizens nor property. However, chapter 4 of the book suggests that the slavery economics in Texas is similar to those in the other southern states. Campbell explores this concept as well in other chapters as he tackles the slaves’ work conditions in chapter 6, and treatment and material situation in chapter 7. This book leans toward portraying that despite a few distinctions, the conditions of slavery in Texas do not differ from the other states, making it a good source of information about history, but not too much on slavery. Evaluation of Sources The book showcases 15 tables, 9 maps, and 4 appendices that provide vital data mostly on the geographic growth and economic nature of slavery. It also contains a massive bibliography regarding slavery in Texas. It is striking how the author utilizes a wide array of sources to complete the book. He uses the qualitative research method to present sources gathered from court and plantation records, contemporary newspapers, census, diaries, and letters. These sources provide insights on the concepts of protecting the society from slaves and protecting the slavery institution. He also uses the quantitative research approach to present sources gathered from narratives of former slaves, probate inventories, tax records, and government consensus. The narratives cons ist of 181 stories told by former slaves that depicts their feelings and views on the â€Å"peculiar institution.† He took the common data among the narratives and turned