For all the recent attention to the slaveholding of the founding fathers; we still know remarkably little about the influence of slavery on American politics. American Taxation; American Slavery tackles this problem in a new way. Rather than parsing the ideological pronouncements of charismatic slaveholders; it examines the concrete policy decisions that slaveholders and non-slaveholders made in the critical realm of taxation. The result is surprising—that the enduring power of antigovernment rhetoric in the United States stems from the nation’s history of slavery rather than its history of liberty. We are all familiar with the states’ rights arguments of proslavery politicians who wanted to keep the federal government weak and decentralized. But here Robin Einhorn shows the deep; broad; and continuous influence of slavery on this idea in American politics. From the earliest colonial times right up to the Civil War; slaveholding elites feared strong democratic government as a threat to the institution of slavery. American Taxation; American Slavery shows how their heated battles over taxation; the power to tax; and the distribution of tax burdens were rooted not in debates over personal liberty but rather in the rights of slaveholders to hold human beings as property. Along the way; Einhorn exposes the antidemocratic origins of the popular Jeffersonian rhetoric about weak government by showing that governments were actually more democratic—and stronger—where most people were free. A strikingly original look at the role of slavery in the making of the United States; American Taxation; American Slavery will prove essential to anyone interested in the history of American government and politics.
#1070769 in Books 2001-09-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.80 x 6.25l; 2.09 #File Name: 0226010732658 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. LONG WINDEDBy Roger C ChapmantHE title is somewhat misleading because relatively little of the text is focused on the new testiment . The section on the Jesus Seminar is a bit biased. The book will require a second reading. In fairness I did obtain a wider perspective on thr Talmud; given that my initial knowledge was minimal.In summary although the book was not what I hoped it would be it increased my knowledge.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy JewelReceived in a timely fashion. Live the book. Thanks!23 of 25 people found the following review helpful. A brilliant; original; and highly entertaining book.By A CustomerThe author is quite upfront in warning off readers who will not profit from this book: i.e. those devoted to the concept of Bible inerrancy or otherwise unwilling or unable to broaden their perspectives. Those readers are missing out on a wonderful ride. In a manner reminiscent of Stephen Jay Gould (another author I wouldn't recommend to the blinkered reader); Akenson combines humor; imagination and scholarship to explore the incredible richness of Biblical texts. I was very impressed with his main thesis; which is audacious yet plausible and cogently argued. The book is more than a satisfying intellectual read. It is an invitiation to share in the author's unquenchable joy as he attempt to answer questions central to our understanding of ourselves.
