How is the state produced? In what ways did enslaved African Americans shape modern governing practices? Ryan A. Quintana provocatively answers these questions by focusing on the everyday production of South Carolina's state space—its roads and canals, borders and boundaries, public buildings and military fortifications. Beginning in the early eighteenth century and moving through the post–War of 1812 internal improvements boom, Quintana highlights the surprising ways enslaved men and women sat at the center of South Carolina's earliest political development, materially producing the state's infrastructure and early governing practices, while also challenging and reshaping both through their day-to-day movements, from the mundane to the rebellious. Focusing on slaves' lives and labors, Quintana illuminates how black South Carolinians not only created the early state but also established their own extralegal economic sites, social and cultural havens, and independent communities along South Carolina's roads, rivers, and canals. Combining social history, the study of American politics, and critical geography, Quintana reframes our ideas of early American political development, illuminates the material production of space, and reveals the central role of slaves' daily movements (for their owners and themselves) to the development of the modern state.

"Beginning in the early eighteenth century and moving through the post-War of 1812 internal improvements boom, Quintana highlights the surprising ways enslaved men and women sat at the center of South Carolina's earliest political development, materially producing the state's infrastructure and early governing practices, while also challenging and reshaping both through their day-to-day movements, from the mundane to the rebellious. Focusing on slaves' lives and labors, Quintana illuminates how black South Carolinians not only created the early state, but also established their own extralegal economic sites, social and cultural havens, and independent communities along South Carolina's roads, rivers, and canals"--

Excerpt from Address, on the Duty of the Slave States in the Present Crisis Before proceeding to do so, let me state the issue. It has been done for me in a late speech by Judge Roberts of our Supreme Court: "The great question before the American people is: shall the institution of slavery be put upon a sure basis of gradual extinction. The Northern controlling majorities say it shall. The South say it shall not. And that is the issue." The man who would dispute that statement of the question is so far behind the times that it would take all night to get back to him. I proceed: in the same speech it is shown that the measures adopted at the North for the extinction of slavery have now gained advantages which "cannot be successfully opposed, or averted, except by prompt State action, and that we are justified in pursuing that remedy to any extent that may be necessary to secure our endangered rights." After showing that a State Convention may be called, with or without the sanction of the State authorities, Judge Roberts teaches that "it may declare the people absolved from their fealty to the General Government." He further says: "The remedy itself (that is, secession) may be adopted conditionally, for the purpose of placing the State on equal terms in treating for an adjustment of satisfactory guarantees against future violations of its rights, or absolutely for the purpose of final separation." This I regard as very important, because it affords a "platform" upon which all can unite. Those who think "something should be done," can here find a decided position - leaving time and the progress of events to determine whether they will demand "final separation" or yield to such proposals for continuing the Union as the North may choose to make. Any less decided ground than this, I regard as very unsafe at the present time. As to the fears of precipitation which may be entertained by some, I cannot better express myself than in the noble, generous and just words of Judge Roberts: "I have no fears that inconsiderate rashness will control them. They have pondered upon the issues of this crisis long and well. It is not unexpected. They have their minds made up about it. There is no agrarian spirit in this country. There is no war of classes. There is no conflict between labor and capital. Our people are not asking or seeking to extort any favors from the government to themselves, or deprive other of any rights. They have no motive or desire for a social rupture at home. Their excitement arises from an entirely opposite cause - a high resolve now to throw themselves into the breach, not to destroy but to protect rights; not to destroy property, but to protect property; not to destroy life, but to make life worth having; not to produce discord, but to end it. Their excitement is not a shallow, noisy riffle, but a deep irresistible current, founded on the firmest conviction of the mind. I do not distrust the people of my State. I will not yield to any argument founded on their want of discretion, want of intelligence, want of integrity to act for themselves, in a serious emergency, and to act now upon it." About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.