Dismal Freedom: A History of the Maroons of the Great Dismal Swamp

Morris's solid monograph skillfully presents how Great Dismal Swamp maroonage changed over time, moving from sixteenth-century slaves and servants to nineteenth-century maroons who assisted Union troops."-Journal of American History

Thoroughly researched and highly readable . . . Morris's clear and compelling work sheds a light on the maroons of the Great Dismal Swamp whose experiences has been overlooked or minimized for far too long."-North Carolina Historical Review

Morris provides glimpses of what life might have been like in the dozens of separate maroon communities, some very small and near the edges of the swamp and others larger and sometimes on islands within the swamp"-Trend & Tradition: The Magazine of Colonial Williamsburg

A welcome addition to the history of enslavement, self-emancipation, and maroons in the United States. . . . Dismal Freedom deserves high praise. Morris has written a readable and engaging account of the Dismal Swamp maroons and their contributions to ending slavery."-Civil War Book Review

J. Brent Morris provides a comprehensive look at those who sought refuge in the swamp's embrace. . . . For anyone interested in slavery, resistance, or marronage, Dismal Freedom is a worthwhile read."-Virginia Magazine of History & Biography