This book was a fascinating look at the intersections of ableism and racism in the history of slavery in North America. Barclay explores how disability affected enslaved people, how their treatment as slaves could cause them to become disabled - through their work or through punishments inflicted on them - and how propaganda from both those supporting and opposing slavery played into ableist tropes that infantilised or underplayed the capacities of the enslaved people. Intricately researched and beautifully written, this book is informative and challenging as it shows the ongoing impact of slavery on society today in the stereotypes and biases people still hold today.

A deep, fascinating account of how disability and slavery went hand-in-hand with the treatment of slaves in the pre- and post-Civil War eras.

Very easy to read and follow. Not for the faint of heart

Mark of Slavery
Jennifer L. Barclay
I was taught about slavery at school. I was taught about the triangle. I was taught about the ships and the kidnap, but it rarely went any further than that. University expanded my knowledge. I read the slave narratives. I read about the heroes of slavery. I was taught about how my country benefited from the pain of others. As a disabled person, I educated myself about the history of disabled people. I read about the freak shows. I read about the institution. I read about the injustice faced by my disabled ancestors.

However, I did not put the pieces together. I missed the hints. I missed the fact that disability played a large part in the lives and narratives of the slaves whose lives I had followed. I missed what was right in front of me.

Mark of Slavery tells me that I was not the only person to miss the obvious. Jennifer L. Barclay tells me that both disability and black studies have overlooked the lives of disabled slaves. The author has sought to correct this omission. She tells us that the brutality of slavery often led to the disabling of slaves. In addition, slave women, deprived of adequate nutrition and medical care during pregnancy, gave birth to disabled children.

The author shines a light on the lives of disabled slaves and how they were viewed by both their fellow slaves and their owners. She reminds us that slaves were dehumanised, judged by their ability to work, and valued according to the money they would bring to their owners. Therefore, slave owners undervalued the lives of disabled slaves, denying them food and medical treatment, using them as Guinea pigs in medical experiments. On the other hand, their fellow slaves often valued their contribution to their community and offered them protection.

This book is an important contribution to both Black studies and disability studies. It’s also an interesting, beautifully written work. I recommend it for both #blackhistorymonth and #nonfictionnovember

This book was even more interesting and important than I imagined. It was such a perspective on slavery and lots of the content I will take with me and disseminate going forwards.

this was a great history book, it was on a topic that interested me and you could tell that the author did their research. This was really well done and I look forward to more from this author.

Although the subject matter of the book can be a little triggering at times, this is definitely a must read. the author talks about how disabled enslaved individuals were treated horribly. it also talks and gives a broader depth on experiments done to enslaved Africans, as well as other racial disparities that happen in the US. This would be such a good book for history buffs.

Exploring the disability history of slavery. Never have I heard a byline like that before or explored such a topic before - nevermind seeing it for purchase on any shelf anywhere.

This topic is something that definitely doesn't get enough attention or coverage, and I'm so glad that this book finally exists and is finally getting the spotlight and given a voice such as it deserves.

A kind thank you to the publisher for approving me of this ARC.

I must admit that I didn't know much about Antebellum America, so I felt the need to educate myself. This book definitely fulfilled my needs! Dr. Barclay is renowned in this field, having numerous publications and earning awards for her work. This book is a clear example of her experience and knowledge. Not only does the book provides with a lot of information from numerous sources, but the author also offers nuanced conclusions and with poignant language indicates her own critique/opinion. This book is obviously written by a brilliant researcher who knows her field, has done extensive research, and has the ability to convey not only the facts but also draw attention to connections often neglected in history and education.

The amount of research the author has poured into this book is astounding. The author includes writings of Black people and other publications from that era. I was reading this on my kindle, and the last 30% of the book was the references section, where the author not only lists her references but also provides a brief description of them.

A book that everyone needs to read, if they have the stomach to face the utter cruelty of that era. The knowledge I gained through this book will stay with me forever.

Publisher: University of Illinois Press
4.5 stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐+

Well researched book, and clearly written and laid out. It gave a good overview of the experiences of slaves who also had other disabilities.

Personally, I would have liked more "in-depth" studies of some of the people discussed - I felt that two or three lines did their stories no justice. However, by using shorter "sound bites", it was possible to demonstrate the spread of slavery and the associated maltreatment.

I would recommend this book, and feel it would be very useful for those just starting on studying the effects of slavery.

The Mark of Slavery is an incredible look at disability amongst the enslaved. This topic is something that definitely doesn't get enough attention or coverage, and I'm so glad that this book finally exists. The whole point of intersectional feminism is the part that it INTERSECTS, meaning that The Mark of Slavery couldn't be made until someone was ready to look at and intelligently analyze the different layers of oppression. Ableism, sexism, racism, and how all of those atrocities have lingered throughout history to where we are now. Overall, this is a powerful book, and I highly recommend it for historians, particularly public historians who specialize in American history.

Lying at the perfect intersection of American historiography, disability studies and Black studies, Dr. Barclay's book is an insightful exploration of an as-yet-ignored aspect of the history of slavery in the Americas: the lives and statuses of disabled folks who were enslaved. This text is well-explored and like any good work of scholarship, asks just as many questions as it answers. It opens up a number of spaces for further research while providing fresh insight adding nuance to a fraught period of history with care and respect.

I picked Jennifer J Barclay’s The Mark of Slavery as an ARC copy that is available via NetGalley. This powerful and influential monograph addresses the treatment of disabled slaves in the antebellum era focussing specifically through historical archives, memoirs, and images. To begin with, I would highly recommend this text because the clear linkages between the ideologies of white supremacy, institutionalized, cultural, and system racism, biopolitics, and precarity becomes clear in the author’s study of slave narratives whom she argues exist in a liminal space - in that - they have more agency that meets the eye, which is indeed a refreshing and meaningful ways to look at a time when we are trying to find the right language to discuss disability. What becomes clear in the argument that “enslaved people with disabilities were also a paradox...they were simultaneously invisible and hyper visible, present and absent, ubiquitous in the historical record but erased, ignored, and obliquely referenced in historical scholarship for decades.” Undoubtedly, Barclay’s astute reading of slave narratives and disability shows their lives were layered and complex. Often, in such structural systems of oppression, even abled slaves took extreme measures to disable themselves to remain as a family unit which they weren’t even considered during the antebellum era. The monograph also explores disability as a spectacle (disabled slaves such as conjoined twins being used for entertainment or the extensive discussions on the slave bodies in minstrel shows specifically the black male “dandy”). This and the focus and exploration of the terminology for the word “freak” reminded me of the way in which this narrative exists on a continuum and hasn’t changed. Now, we have channels such as TLC doing exactly that. People who are from different races, sexualities, weight problems, ethnicities, and disabled are mocked in public spaces and on channels such as TLC (which I also admittedly watch) but am aware of this issue.
#TheMarkofSlavery #TheNetgalley

I really wanted to like this book and learn from it. Unfortunately it was too dense and “scholarly” for me to get a lot from it. It was written like a college thesis, which is great if you’re the super knowledgeable type or looking for that type of book. I believe this book has a lot to offer I just needed it dumbed down a little to be able to really understand it.

I don't like to rate non-fiction because I don't know how or what criteria to use. But this book was very good, I liked it a lot. It opens your eyes and you learn a lot.

The Mark of Slavery is an eye-opening book about another way white land and slave owners found to knock slaves down by marking them defective due to their skin color. Slave owners would use the term "disabled" to charge off their property in taxes because the "defective" cost more than make money for their masters.
It was interesting to read that, although some were treated more harsh than other slaves, some of the "disabled" were able to stay with their family and given jobs as caregivers for their siblings or in the household. In no way am I saying the treatment of those labeled as disabled were treated fairly. Many times the disability was caused by the work they were forced to endure, or lack of medical care for a possibly minor injury or illness.

i didn't really know what the book was going to be about and if I would be able to complete it due to the subject. Jenifer Barclay does a wonderful job of presenting the treatment of African Americans by Euro Americans throughout the book. I found myself angry in the treatment, then slightly less when disabled were treated less harshly and let to stay with their family after an auction.

I cannot say I like the subject matter, it is a very heavy read, but I can say the writing and way the subject is handled makes "The Mark of Slavery" a five star read.
I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book provided insight into the imagery of disability in relation with the institution of slavery. It provided a well documented go-through into the society of ante- and postbellum America (before and after The Civil War).
It went to show how deeply ingrained into the American society, was the overlapping of the words “slave” and “disability”. It showed how this phenomenon came to be and what where its consequences (and still are, to these days).
The perspective that is approached is that from the slave`s point of view—in the sense that the attempt that is made is that of recollecting testimonials from their side of the story, or trying to build an image of their situation out of documents of that period.
The pace of the book is permissible, as the text is easy to follow.

I read this almost in one sitting...being disabled myself, it heartbreaking to read this book but at the same time it was so informative. The people who were enslaved and also disabled are often overlooked in the wider narrative and I'm so glad that this book was written

This was such an amazing read. History buffs and folks interested in disability rights and the history of slavery in the Americas will be thrilled with this book. It is an adaptation of the author's, Jenifer Barclay's dissertation and it brilliantly explores how disability positioned enslaved people in the Americas and how enslaved people used both perceived and actual disability to their advantage. How disability both helped and hindered the experiences of Black people in their families and their interactions with white people. How medicine and science were performed on Black people without regard for their humanity or wishes. Barclay shares multiple accounts of the experiences of disabled enslaved people and how their disability affected them. I learned so much reading this book. I received a free copy for review through netgalley, but will certainly be purchasing a physical copy for my collection. I cannot say enough great things about this book. I highly recommend it.

This book is one of a kind. It definitely fills in a gap in the historiography of slavery. What about those whom enslavers deemed as unfit or incapable of work? What are their stories? Disability history seems to be a growing field, one that will continue to expand our understanding and give us a more complete view of the past.

This is a type of history that is excited; it shows that there are still many different avenues to explore and research, on top of all of the information we seem to already have. Barclay's work speaks to the work of Diana Raimey Berry and Kellie Carter Jackson (Jackson she explicitly mentions)- these works have expanded on enslavement studies, regarding women and their roles.

There is a lot to unpack here- and gives a much needed voice to those Americans who have disabilities. Their history matters as well