James Roark Masters Without Slaves Summary

James L. Roark's Masters without Slaves is a well-written and solidly-grounded academic study of the ideological and cultural basis of slavery and its eventual transition into the ethos of white supremacy that flourishes in many parts of America to this day. Roark relied heavily on first-hand accounts – letters, diaries, and notebooks – augmented by scholarly works from distinguished historians such as Willie Lee Rose, Charles Roland, Kenneth Stampp, and Eugene Genovese. As the back cover blurb stated, Roark's intention was to “capture reality as the planters knew it.” He succeeded and earned the 1974 Allan Nevins Prize of the Society of American Historians for his efforts. Roark's book reinforces the argument that the American Revolution