A DEFENCE OF NEGRO HISTORY, AS IT EXISTS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Montgomery, (AL): Press of the Alabama Journal, 1846. First edition. 12mo. 260 pp. A high-spot (if such a thing may be said to exist) of antebellum pro-slavery literature. Historian John Ashworth finds in Estes “the fullest expression” of the menial theme in pro-slavery literature: “[Estes] was prepared to ‘state it as a fact, which is confirmed by the whole history of mankind – that there is a certain kind of hard drudgery which is incompatible with any high degree of mental improvement’ … thus the advantage of slavery was that it enabled society’s need for drudge labor to be met, while at the same time permitting the elite to avoid it and concentrate instead upon more noble activities” (Ashworth Slavery, Capitalism, and Politics in the Antebellum Republic, Cambridge U. Press, 1995). Sabin 23046. Howes E-200. LCP/HSP Afro-Americana 3516. Scarce in commerce, with only one copy recorded at auction in the past 40 years (ABPC, 1976-2018; Rare Book Hub). Contemporary boards with a new calf spine and label (hinges strengthened with paper tape). Later bookplate on front pastedown, small printer’s defect to pp. 55-56, resulting in loss of a few characters, but no loss of sense. Overall a well preserved-copy. Item #64912
Price: $2,500.00