Dismal Freedom
A History of the Maroons of the Great Dismal Swamp
By J. Brent Morris
256 pp., 6.125 x 9.25, 12 halftones, 2 maps, notes, index
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Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4696-8834-3
Published: February 2025 -
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4696-6825-3
Published: July 2022 -
E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-1-4696-6826-0
Published: March 2022 -
E-book PDF ISBN: 979-8-8908-5180-2
Published: March 2022
Paperback Available February 2025, but pre-order your copy today!
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Dismal Freedom unearths the stories of these maroons, their lives, and their struggles for liberation. Drawing from newly discovered primary sources and archeological evidence that suggests far more extensive maroon settlement than historians have previously imagined, award-winning author J. Brent Morris uncovers one of the most exciting yet neglected stories of American history. This is the story of resilient, proud, and determined people who made the Great Dismal Swamp their free home and sanctuary and who played an outsized role in undermining slavery through the Civil War.
About the Author
J. Brent Morris is professor of history at Clemson University.
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Reviews
"Morris's solid monograph skillfully presents how Great Dismal Swamp marronage changed over time, moving from sixteenth-century slaves and servants to nineteenth-century maroons who assisted Union troops."—Journal of American History
"Thoroughly researched and highly readable . . . Morris’s clear and compelling work sheds a light on the maroons of the Great Dismal Swamp whose experiences has been overlooked or minimized for far too long."—North Carolina Historical Review
"Morris provides glimpses of what life might have been like in the dozens of separate maroon communities, some very small and near the edges of the swamp and others larger and sometimes on islands within the swamp."—Trend & Tradition: The Magazine of Colonial Williamsburg
"A welcome addition to the history of enslavement, self-emancipation, and maroons in the United States. Dismal Freedom deserves high praise. Morris has written a readable and engaging account of the Dismal Swamp maroons and their contributions to ending slavery."—Civil War Book Review
"J. Brent Morris provides a comprehensive look at those who sought refuge in the swamp’s embrace. . . . For anyone interested in slavery, resistance, or marronage, Dismal Freedom is a worthwhile read."—Virginia Magazine of History & Biography
"Morris has produced an excellent study and contributes to a deeper understanding of marronage. Dismal Freedom is well suited for students and the general public alike, and it should be read by anyone who wants to broaden their awareness of marronage in the United States."—Journal of Southern History