A Study Guide for Stephen B. Oates' The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion

THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY is a difficult one for many teachers of American history, who, seeking to avoid controversy and contemporary racial antagonism, sometimes give less than satisfactory attention to this central chapter of the American past. Slavery may be shortchanged in favor of Civil War battlefield heroics as teachers attempt to avoid the phone call from a parent who is concerned that dredging up this dark chapter of American history will exacerbate racial conflict among students and provide them with a negative image of the United States. Some white teachers and students suggest that studying slavery only stirs up resentment by black students and guilt by young whites who have nothing to do with slavery. However, this very argument demonstrates why the institution of slavery must be at the core of the history curriculum, for the shadow which slavery continues to cast upon American society and race relations raises serious questions about the American dream which young people must address as they become active participants in a democratic society. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans underscores this point only too well. If we accept the study of slavery as a given, then what should be covered in this curriculum? Certainly, the role played by slavery in the political debates leading to the Civil War deserves attention, but the