Overview

In this groundbreaking study, Arthur Scherr examines the positions on slavery held by two of the most famous New Yorkers of the early American Republic: John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Using Hamilton's 1779 proposal to free Southern slaves on the condition that they fight in the Continental Army as a starting point, Scherr assesses the pair’s positions on enslavement. Utilizing often-untouched resources, Scherr offers a re-evaluation of Hamilton and Jay’s modern status as antislavery icons.

Full Product Details

Author:   Arthur Scherr
Publisher:   Springer International Publishing AG
Imprint:   Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN:  

9783031717994

ISBN 10:   3031717996
Pages:   274
Publication Date:   12 January 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Part I John Jay And Slavery: A Closer Look At The Founder And The Historians.- Chapter 1. Introduction: John Jay and Enslavement.- Chapter 2. Historians and The Debate Over John Jay’s Antislavery Credentials.- Chapter 3. Jay’s Attitude Toward Slavery: Fact Versus Fiction.- Chapter 4. Jay’s Pragmatic Gubernatorial Campaign (1792).- Chapter 5. Jay’s Failure To Address The Question Of Slavery As Governor Of New York.- Chapter 6. Jay And New York’s 1799 Emancipation Law.- Chapter 7. Jay’s Attitude Toward Slavery In Old Age.- Chapter 8. John Jay And Slavery: Conclusion.- Part II Alexander Hamilton and Black Enslavement: A Reappraisal.- Chapter 9. Introduction: Slavery and Hamilton Today.- Chapter 10. Hamiltonian Historiography On Slavery Over The Years.- Chapter 11. Hamilton, Slavery, and African Americans during the Revolutionary Era.- Chapter 12. Hamilton On Slavery In The National Arena During The 1780s-1790s.- Chapter 13. Hamilton’s Ambivalent Role in the New-York Manumission Society.- Chapter 14. Mme. Volunbrun, Hamilton, and the New-York Manumission Society (1801-1802).- Chapter 15. The Volunbrun Affair: Denouement.- Chapter 16. Hamilton’s Role in the Volunbrun Case.- Chapter 17. Hamilton and Louverture’s Haitian Revolution.- Chapter 18. The Young Ralph Case and Hamilton’s Ultimate Defense of Slavery.- Chapter 19. Conclusion: The Flawed Antislavery Legacy Of Hamilton And Jay.

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Author Information

Arthur Scherr taught at the City University of New York, USA. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including Thomas Jefferson’s Haitian Policy: Myths and Realities (2011), John Adams, Slavery, and Race: Ideas, Politics, and Diplomacy in an Age of Crisis (2018), and Rightful Liberty: Slavery, Morality, and Thomas Jefferson’s World (2021).

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