The Slaveholders' Dilemma

"Genovese subjects the contradictions of conservative proslavery thought to a respectful if withering critique."—American Historical Review

"This study, based on unparalleled familiarity with the writings of antebellum southern thinkers, has much to tell us about topics that have long interested historians: the slaveholders' world view, its relationship to that of Americans (and Westerners) in general, and the persistent question of southern distinctiveness."—The Journal of American History

"Genovese lays bare the contradictions of the proslavery argument. Contrary to southern claims, free labor produced greater material progress. Slaveholders inconsistently pictured the North as powerful and aggressive, and in the next breath, maintained that the social system of the North was collapsing. By taking seriously the work of southern political theorists, economists, and theologians, Genovese offers penetrating insights into the world view of slaveholders. His study deserves a wide audience."—The Journal of the Early Republic

"With The Slaveholders' Dilemma, Eugene Genovese reminds us once again why he is both the most influential and the most controversial southern historian of his generation. No modern scholar has succeeded in writing with empathy about both slaves and slaveholders as well as Genovese, and this slender volume offers a cogent and forceful statement of Genovese's most recent thinking on what he considers the distinctive conservatism of the Old South."—Reviews in American History