Research Catalog

Under the flags of freedom : slave soldiers and the wars of independence in Spanish South America

Title: Under the flags of freedom : slave soldiers and the wars of independence in Spanish South America / Peter Blanchard.
Author: Blanchard, Peter, 1946-
Publication: Pittsburgh : University of Pittsburgh Press, ©2008.

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request for On-site Use Request Scan How do I pick up this item and when will it be ready?	Text	Use in library	F2235 .B53 2008	Off-site

Details

Description

ix, 242 pages : maps; 23 cm.

Summary

During the wars for independence in Spanish South America (1808-1826), thousands of slaves enlisted under the promise of personal freedom and, in some cases, freedom for other family members. Blacks were recruited by opposing sides in these conflicts and their loyalties rested with whomever they believed would emerge victorious. The prospect of freedom was worth risking one's life for, and wars against Spain presented unprecedented opportunities to attain it. Much hedging over the slavery issue continued, however, even after the patriots came to power. The prospect of abolition threatened existing political, economic, and social structures, and the new leaders would not encroach upon what were still considered the property rights of powerful slave owners. The patriots attacked the institution of slavery in their rhetoric, yet maintained the status quo in the new nations. It was not until a generation later that slavery would be declared illegal in all of Spain's former mainland colonies. Through extensive archival research, Blanchard assembles an accessible, comprehensive, and broadly based study to investigate this issue from the perspectives of Royalists, patriots, and slaves. He examines the wartime political, ideological, and social dynamics that led to slave recruitment, and the subsequent repercussions in the immediate postindependence era. Under the Flags of Freedom sheds new light on the vital contribution of slaves to the wars for Latin American independence, which, up until now, has been largely ignored in the histories and collective memories of these nations.

Series Statement

Pitt Latin American series

Uniform Title

Pitt Latin American series

Subject

Genre/Form

History

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-236) and index.

Contents

A historical tradition -- Serving the king in Venezuela and New Granada -- Fighting for the patria in the Río de la Plata -- Changing loyalties in the North -- Controlling slave recruitment in Chile and Peru -- Recruitment and resistance -- The personal war of slave women -- The survival of slavery.

ISBN

9780822943471
0822943476
9780822959922
0822959925

LCCN

2008003272
40015601554

OCLC

ocn182735995
182735995
SCSB-1469953

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library