George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson
Downloading the book George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who Was Billy Lee ?, By James C. Thompson in this internet site listings can make you a lot more benefits. It will certainly show you the most effective book collections and finished collections. Plenty publications can be discovered in this web site. So, this is not only this George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who Was Billy Lee ?, By James C. Thompson However, this book is referred to check out due to the fact that it is an inspiring publication to provide you more opportunity to get experiences and thoughts. This is straightforward, read the soft file of guide George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who Was Billy Lee ?, By James C. Thompson as well as you get it.
George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson
PDF Ebook Download : George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson
In "George Washington's Mulatto Man - Who was Billy Lee ?", author James Thompson re-weaves a fabric of events that began more than twenty-five years before the Declaration of Independence was written and ended more than twenty-five years after its ratification. Most of these events are known only through passing comments, many of them George Washington's. Sketchy though the record is, it confirms that Washington had a unique relationship with the mulatto boy he bought in 1767 for 61.15. What made this relationship special is not in the written record. Mr. Thompson unravels the mystery in his new book. The tie that bound Washington to Billy Lee remained unbroken through the last three decades of Washington's life. In his will, Washington freed "my mulatto man Billy" and bestowed upon him a lifetime annuity. What force forged this unique bond? Mr. Thompson discovered it, he says, by stepping beyond the boundaries that have limited previous deliberations on this curious matter: George Washington and Billy Lee were more than master and slave. The written record says nothing of Billy Lee's parents apart from his being a mulatto. It shows, however, that George Washington knew Billy Lee's former owner. In fact, he knew all of Billy's former owners. The author contends that the future President also knew the boy's parents and that therein lay the reason he sailed to Cabin Creek, Westmoreland County, and purchased the seventeen year old maroon (and his brother) from his distant kinswoman, Mary Smith Ball Lee. Mr. Thompson completes his stunning commentary by unveiling a portrait of his subject. The picture was painted from life by one of the four artists who knew Billy Lee. Charles Willson Peale portrayed him where he always was, at his celebrated master's shoulder. Mr. Thompson's ingenious detective work shows readers how conspicuous facts become invisible when viewed through the wrong lens. His investigation confirms the qualities that made George Washington history's greatest man. It also changes our understanding about race in colonial America.
George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson- Amazon Sales Rank: #2677495 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-15
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 266 pages
Where to Download George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Strangest Biography Ever By David Wineberg Tom Stoppard wrote an entire play and film about two men who are mentioned, but never appeared in Hamlet. James Thompson has written an entire book assembling the life of Billy Lee, who left no evidence of his own. In researching the independence era, it seems Thompson kept coming across mentions of Lee. He seems to have collected them all, and reassembled them into a life, complete with decisions and moral judgments . Remarkable.Looking back from the 21st century, this was a bizarre time for families and slaves. There was all sorts of mixing of the races, but when the children were born, what we now call racism took over. Children born largely white entered society. Children born with African features became slaves, despite their parents’ freedom. They became family secrets. First Lady Martha Washington owned her half-sister Ann. She also owned a nephew, William, who was also her grandson. And slave.Lee was a mulatto, born of another Washington. George Washington agreed to take him and his brother on, and paid for them. Lee, an excellent horseman, accompanied Washington throughout the Revolutionary War, and relieved Washington of the small details of his life so he could focus on strategy. It was a helluva life, and as Thompson notes, Lee lived better than most colonists, let alone slaves.We don’t know if he could read or write, and the only images of him are in the background of portraits of Washington. (He is completely different in every one. See photo below for probably the most accurate one.) But from notes, references, receipts and snippets of letters between other people, Thompson has constructed what was a 32 year collaboration between master and servant. It’s almost entirely inference and assumption.Lee’s story is good for about 150 pages, but Thompsons goes on after that for another 350 pages. It turns out Thompson believes George Washington wasn’t just the greatest man in the world; he believes Washington was the greatest man in all of history. He says so several times. The book takes a completely unexpected turn to the full lineage of the Washingtons and the Fairfaxes as far back as they go, and a history of the machinations and shenanigans that made Virginia. The family tree is almost as dry as the Old Testament, with page after page of marrying and begetting, and often no other details, or even dates (which start about 1400). There is no point in keeping track of them, because none of them figures in Billy Lee’s life until we get to the mid 1700s. Thompson even provides biographies of the artists who painted Washington’s portraits. The book is a feast of biographies.Thankfully, Thompson comes around at the end with an analysis, adding perspective, context and real value to what we know. Unfortunately, it is mostly defending George Washington against his other biographers, though he does upbraid the greatest man for maltreating Lee.This is a very odd “biography” from every angle. Despite the title and the tagline, it mostly about Washington. It is not so much a narrative as a reference source for every conceivable family connection. As such it is a most unsatisfying story of Billy lee.David Wineberg
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not available? By EastCoastMusicLover It's a shame no copies are available given that it's on C-Span today and a fascinating story.
See all 2 customer reviews... George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. ThompsonGeorge Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson PDF
George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson iBooks
George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson ePub
George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson rtf
George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson AZW
George Washington's Mulatto Man: Who was Billy Lee ?, by James C. Thompson Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar