Bonded Leather binding

From the author of "American Mafioso" comes the story of the Brown brothers, leading slave merchants of Providence, Rhode Island, during the time of the American Revolution.

Dating back to the colonial era, the historic barns and outbuildings of Rhode Island have withstood the test of time. From the state's early barnyard taverns to the modern-day horse and dairy farms that populate rural Rhode Island, each of these buildings has a story to tell. In the mid-eighteenth century, the Narragansett planters bred horses on their farms in southern Rhode Island. Later, dairy farms sprang up across the region. Milking barns were built on the largest farms in the state, including the Theinhert Dairy Farm and Barn in Lincoln. Before the advent of electric trolleys, urban barns sheltered horses for early tramcar transportation. Each barn is a beloved reminder of the state's history. Join author Robert A. Geake as he explores the origins and evolution of Rhode Island's farms.

The Providence River begins its journey from the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers, in the capital city from which the river takes its name. A short distance downstream, the Seekonk River joins with the Providence as they flow on toward the mouth of Narragansett Bay. The history of the Ocean State was made on the banks of this historic river. It was here that Roger Williams established the first settlement dedicated to religious liberty, Rochambeau's army made its first encampment on the road to Yorktown and the Walsh-Kaiser Shipyard built World War II vessels for the Allied maritime effort. Along its waters glided boats and ships engaged in the slave trade, the raid on the "Gaspee" and all manner of coastal commerce. Historian Robert A. Geake has paddled the river's length to uncover the mysteries coursing within.

From the first settlements within New England, the developing colonies of British North America became inextricably linked to slavery. The region supplied critical goods to the sugar plantations established by British planters in the West Indies. The northern colonies established their own slave plantations to supply the growing demand for goods that led to unparalleled growth in commerce and to the subsequent involvement in the triangle trade. As these northern plantations diminished at the close of the eighteenth century, the rise of textile manufacturing continued to tie the region to slavery. Historian Robert A. Geake explores the familial and economic ties that bound New England and the South into the Civil War.