Abolishing Slavery in America

“Slavery transformed the Southern United States in the 19th century.” This confusing statement at the beginning of Abolishing Slavery in America is indicative of the production's split personality (while Southern slavery underwent a dramatic change in the 19th century, the statement's wording might falsely suggest to students that slavery did not exist previously). Unevenly divided into four segments—“Life on Southern Plantations,” “Riding the Underground Railroad,” “Uncle Tom's Cabin: Politics and the Pen,” and “Revolt Aboard the Amistad”—the first three sections are a little over three minutes each, while the last on the Amistad uprising is 34 minutes. Each section includes a pre-viewing quiz question, student interviews, and a pause-for-discussion option. Unfortunately, the student interviews are insultingly bad and needlessly distracting (when students are asked if they ever feel helpless, one lad replies how mad he is when his parents take away his Game Boy). Combining interviews with scholars, archival images, and dramatic re-enactments (the best aspect of this production, particularly those illustrating the appalling conditions on the slave ships), this is an optional purchase, at best. Aud: J, H. (R. Reagan)