"For more than four centuries, slavery was an unfortunate reality about life in America. This book discusses the various duties that slaves had, their relationships with their masters, and the ways they coped with the humiliating and demoralizing lives they were captured into. Students will also learn how the practice of slavery began, how slaves contributed to the Southern economy, and how the institution was finally destroyed." -- Page [4] cover....

Generations of American history students grew up believing that slave rebellion was relatively rare, that slaves accepted their lot and became attached to their masters, and that they were ultimately liberated with little or no effort of their own. Liberally sprinkled with quotations from Civil War era blacks, both slave and free, Breaking the Chains gives readers a well-researched look at the lives of real slaves. From their African abductions, through...

Provides excerpts from letters, books, newspaper articles, speeches, and diary entries which express various views of Southern Americans toward slavery and the Civil War.