That “southern white views on the slavery question varied across space and changed over time” may not appear to be news, yet through depth, detail and focus, Ford's comprehensive study forges a fresh path. Crosscutting along geographical lines, separating the upper and lower South, Ford (Origins of Southern Radicalism
) follows a chronological trail between 1787 and 1840 as he focuses on “the evolution of white attitudes and slaveholder ideology over time.” While the historical detail is engrossing, Ford's eye remains on the consequences of events upon the emerging ideology. As upper South advocates of “whitening the region” instigated “a demographic reconfiguration of slavery,” for example, selling their slaves to the lower South, the lower South's ideological restructuring replaced coercion with paternalism. Ford's monumental book delineates a “twisted and tortured” intellectual history; signs of his mastery of previous scholarship and his immersion in fresh primary sources abound. Formidable detail threatens to overwhelm, but Ford's lucid prose and summary introductions illuminate the way. Lay readers will appreciate his guidance, and academic readers will find his revelations groundbreaking. (Sept.)
