Rough Crossings

Simon Schama's Rough Crossings tells the story of the American revolution, the resettlement of slaves and others loyal to the British after the war. It covers a period from the 1770's up to the the turn of the century with a final part, up to the mid nineteenth century, that explores the beginnings and endings of history. The narrative roams three continents with a cast of characters that includes the bad and the good.

As a black man, I came to this book to learn about the experience of the slaves from yet another perspective. However, the book is so well written, the story told with such great style that I was quickly shifted from my narrow perspective and was drawn fully into the complexities of the revolution and its making.

The germ of the making of the revolution is clearly revealed by Schama. The scheming, the wheeler dealings and deceit are all there. An early passage in the book states: "In the experience of both David George and Boston King (the best sources we have for the experience of blacks in the Revolutionary War), the British could appear as both benefactors and theives, hard-hearted and kind-hearted; yet there was never any question about the ultimate allegiance of these two."

But Rough Crossings is more than a histoy of the American revolution; Britian's response and the experience of slaves, it is also a political and geographical history. In other works, it is also about the formation of 'states'. Schama's outline of the makings of settlements in Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone is quite revealing of the politics of betrayal and brutishness that ensued. He clearly shows us life from the seedy to the pretentiousness of high civility. Pretentiousness to high civility that could never be obtained because these new societies carried within them the seeds from another place and time. In the early formation of these new colonies what begun to blossom again was racism. For example, in Nova Scotia, to keep the settlement of Shelburne free of the "frolicks" of negros the whites decided to create a settlement for the blacks - namely Birchtown. Here in lies the making of racial apartheid.

What also comes across clearly in this book is a history of greed and profitering at the expense of the slaves. One of the recurring themes was that the whole enterprise of the war and slavery was driven by profits. The drive for profits at the expense of human beings is painfully outlined in the story of captain Luke Collingwood. Rather than lose money by captured Africans dying during the passage from Africa to the Caribbean, during one passage Collingwood prepared and executed a plan to defruad his insures by casting live Africans into the sea.

Part two of this great history focuses on the efforts of John Clarkson to resettle "ex-slaves" and loyalist in Sierra Leone. In restrained almost understated language, Schama outlines how the hardships, the betrayals, the effects of indentured bonds and debts were experienced by "ex-slaves". It is a story of great human suffering, endurance and determination.

It is not just the content that makes the book highly readable. After all, the story has been told before in various guises. What also sustains the reading of this story is the way it is told. In part, Schama's style is rhetorical. This had the effect of sweeping me along with his narrative and persuading me into believing the content. Here is an example of Schama at the peak of rhetorical flourish as he describes how against poor conditions and experiences slaves were still prepared to join the British army: "For all the chaos and brutality; for all the untended sickness and the abandonment of the sick; for all the slaves forced on to public works, some of them even sent back to masters; for all the chronic uncertainty about their eventual fate; ... whereever the British army went, in big battalions or small, in North Carolina and then in Virginia, slaves still continue to pour into their camps by the score, then in hundreds and finally thousands."

Schama is detailed and scholarly whilst at the same time remaining sufficiently populist to allow his book to appeal to a broad readship. His command of the language is so great, his narrative flows so fluently that at times I had to read out aloud if only to hear an imagined voice and savour the text. Furthermore, Schama's descriptive passages are quite simply brilliant and dazzling. Take the long opening paragraph of part one. Here a vivid picture of aspects of life in London is presented. The reader can almost see the hustle and bustle of high and low life. As we read we can easily emerse ourselves into London life.

The truth is the apex to which the writer; whether historian, novelist or philosopher, must aim. In reading Rough Crossings, one is left with the clear impression that the truth is exactly what Schama achieves. He leaves no stone unturned, he shows us great acts of human kindness and the despicable, depravity of human behaviour. One example of the wide spectrum of human behaviour can be found in the story of Jonathan Stong, a London slave beaten almost beyond recognition by his master David Lisle, but rescued and rehabilitated by William Sharp. I was simply moved not just by the story but just as important Schama's ability to convey the pathos involved.

I think the best way to summarise Schama's achievement is to pay him a tribute. One senses that Schama's handling of his material and subject is second to none. He manages to achieve what I would think most historians aim at, that is the right balance between the narration of the story, description of scenes and events, and analysis of the underlying causes. This is a magnificent piece of history, please read it.

"A place like no other . . . " (1/1 people found this helpful)

Like the ships' journeys, this is a three part tale. For the ships, it was from some British port to the coast of Africa, thence - loaded with "live cargo" - across the Atlantic to the sales dock before returning to the British Isles. It is that "live cargo" that Schama deals with in this superbly written, but tragic, account of how Britain attempted to redeem itself for its role in the slave trade. When the British colonies in North America severed their link to the Crown, "liberty" was the ultimate cause. That "liberty" meant the right to make their own decisions, something the slave-holding colonists refused to apply to their African workers. If they could, slaves and free blacks thus bolted from certain captivity to a promise offered by the defeated imperial power.

The triad of sites in this book are London, North America - particularly Nova Scotia - and the African Coast. In London, a reformer group, led by Granville Sharp, arose to combat slavery and the trans-Atlantic trade in "live cargo". They were opposed by political inertia and the Caribbean sugar lobby of planters, shippers and agents. Escaped or manumitted slaves in North America had few refuges and London held as much promise as anywhere. Ghettos of black populations had grown up by the 1760s, and laboured under uncertain legal and social status. A colonist visiting the capital might seek a lost slave there, while press gangs could raid the black district of St Giles with near impunity. Schama depicts the twisted path of black status in England where Common Law declared that "no man might own another" with acerbic clarity. A court case that might have been a landmark decision resulted in mixed interpretations of the ruling.

Mixed or not, when the Thirteen Colonies rebelled a decade later, the British found it useful to entice slaves to desert masters. Projecting the idea that "no man might own another" at least to? the North American mainland, the British Army created black military forces and declared any soldier or civilian working for it, free. Defeat forced a massive relocation programme, with thousands of people transferred to Nova Scotia. In New York, "The Book of Negroes" was a catalogue of those newly emancipated people as a means of certifying their identity and status. One reason this remained necessary was that slave-owning Loyalists had no intention of releasing their property. Freed and enslaved was distinguished by certificates issued by the military and by such lists as "The Book".

Nova Scotia, as Schama well portrays, was not an unqualified success. The climate was anything but salubrious, nor was the economy ready for the influx of people. Pressures mounted until Birchtown became the first site of a race riot in North America. Another solution was needed and the London group found it in Sierra Leone. As tensions increased in Nova Scotia, Schama introduces the figure of John Clarkson, a Royal Navy officer who might be described as a principled navigator. In Schama's view, Clarkson became the Saviour of the Nova Scotia and some London freedmen. Clarkson's sacrifices were certainly worthy of sainthood - his career, his health and whatever income he possessed. The book's title is as applicable to Clarkson's journey from Halifax to Sierra Leone as any event related. Severe storms buffeted the fleet, while Clarkson lay prostrate in his cabin with what may have been meningitis. Sierra Leone was also beset by storms, of both weather and politics, as it struggled to gain the independence it had been promised. It never was truly free, as much as Clarkson and the settlers wished it so. Still, it was an enclave of hope, and at one point was actually the only place anywhere in the Atlantic world where free blacks had elected representatives and actually entered into the first black labour negotiations.

Schama's account of the struggles of black British subjects is long overdue. It will make uncomfortable reading for some - a testimony to its value and importance. The research foundation is impressively thorough. He handles personalities and situations with equal skill, and has no qualms about exposing the hypocrisies he encounters. The term "racism" doesn't appear in the book, but it doesn't have to. The statements and actions of those who would become leaders in "The Home of Liberty" are expressive enough. A fine, admirable and much-needed book, this needs a wide readership. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A Voyage of Historical Revelation (4/5 people found this helpful)

With so many historians writing about subjects already extensively covered, it is always a particular delight to find a book which tells a story unfamiliar to all but the the specialist. Simon Schama has found just such a subject in the chronicles of black Afro American slaves who fought for the British Crown in the American War of Independence in return for their freedom and the chance to start afresh in Canada and Seirra Leone.It is account full of exciting incident, vivid characters, idealism, betrayal, misfortune, courage and hypocrisy: it also makes for a cracking read. Those who might find the topic of slavery so immense as to be off putting will find this volume focussed, detailed and cleverly structured whilst some who find Schama's on screen persona irritating will find him a far more appealing on the printed page. Along the way we encounter the usual suspects: politicians who say one thing and do another, Southern plantation owners proclaiming their worship of liberty providing it doesn't apply to slaves and pious martinets who don't let humanity and commonsense get in the way of a moral sermon. Yet in the hard work and commitment of the freed slaves and the idealism of decent men like Granville Sharp and John Clarkson the story of struggle against enormous odds becomes inspiring. For those wanting an informed overview on the debate over the legality of slavery or differing transatlantic approaches to the notion of liberty or the roots of the quest for black political representation will find much of interest here, but if you just like a totally engrossing account of a fascinating historical episode, you cannot go wrong. One of the best popular history books of recent years without doubt.

How history should be written: accurate, interesting and accessible (6/7 people found this helpful)

Simon Schama's book deals with the history of a few thousand, in a war that concerned millions, while giving poignant examples from the personal few. He successful fits his story of the slaves who fought behind British lines into a larger picture of the civil war, and gives them a voice. To the reviewer who claimed this book is overcomplicated, I must simply argue that you're wrong. In this book, Schama writes clearly and is at all points captivating, if one wants an example of imaginative, yet no pretentious social history then one needs to look no further. With his unique style, he writes a book that could easily be a work of fiction were it not so thoroughly researched. Highly recommended to those with even the passing interest in history, it may win the subject some converts.

what I wouldn't do for a little simplicity! (13/30 people found this helpful)

Well, I'd really like to say that this book was brilliant... the story that schama tells is fascinating. The amount of research he must have put in is staggering - but by God he writes a bloomin' boring book! Self indulgent, elitist and (what's that word I'm looking for?) I expect Schama could tell me as he has obviously been learning a new word from the dictionary every day & is now hell-bent on using each & every one of them! (actually I think he made some of them up). The first half of the book gets bogged down in the American War of Independence, a worthy subject in its own right, but too much detail has been included in this book & I found myself skimming passages to reach relevant parts of the text. The second half of the book is a much easier read as the information is relevant and the text is peppered with far fewer meaningless & unnceessary large words. I have to admit I haven't yet managed to finish it - I really, REALLY want to but Simon Schama has not made it easy for me & the many others like me who want to know more about this important subject! What a shame.

Simon Schama

Reader Reviews:

A Magnificent Piece of History (0/0 people found this helpful)

"A place like no other . . . " (1/1 people found this helpful)

A Voyage of Historical Revelation (4/5 people found this helpful)

How history should be written: accurate, interesting and accessible (6/7 people found this helpful)

what I wouldn't do for a little simplicity! (13/30 people found this helpful)

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