Ben Waber reviewed They Were Her Property by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
A Rigorous, Devastating Analysis of White Women's Role in US Slavery
4 stars
This book examines an extremely troubling and understudied aspect of US slavery - the role of white women as slave owners. Simultaneously going against many gender norms and reinforcing racist ones, Jones-Rogers combines first hand accounts, newspaper advertisements, and other written records to systematically document the role white women played in profiting from and strengthening slavery in the US south. Legal questions come up often, as without legal planning it was extremely challenging for women to own and profit from property, including slaves, and the inhumanity and cruelty that slaveholders exhibited is clearly shown to be gender blind. Highly recommend.
