British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Slavery by Another Name

Synopsis
This 90-minute documentary that challenges one of Americans’ most cherished assumptions: that slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation. The film tells how even as chattel slavery came to an end in the South after the Civil War, new systems of involuntary servitude took its place with shocking force and brutality. The film documents how for more than 80 years, thousands of African Americans, often guilty of no crime at all, were arrested, compelled to work without pay, repeatedly bought and sold, and coerced to do the bidding of white masters. Tolerated by both the North and South, forced labour lasted well into the 20th century.

The film, which is based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Douglas A. Blackmon, gives voice to the largely forgotten victims and perpetrators of forced labor and features interviews with their surviving descendants. A group of historians provides context and perspective on one of the most shameful and little known chapters in American history.
Language
English
Country
United States
Year of release
2012
Subjects
History
Keywords
slavery; United States of America

Credits

Contributor
Laurence Fishburne

Distribution Formats

Type
DVD
Format
Region 1 NTSC
Price
$19.99
Availability
Sale
Duration/Size
90 minutes
Year
2013

Production Company

Name

PBS

Web
http://www.pbs.org External site opens in new window

Distributor

Name

PBS Shop

Web
http://www.shoppbs.org External site opens in new window

Record Stats

This record has been viewed 391 times.