Journal of Southern History

In the first book-length treatment of the sexual violation of enslaved men by white women and men, Thomas A. Foster explores the repercussions of such abuse for individuals, families, and communities. Foster frames his study as a reimagining of the frequently cited narrative of Rose Williams, this time from the perspective of Rufus. While this approach necessarily ventures into the realm of the speculative, it raises probing and vital questions. Foster deftly handles the complexity of sexual violence, painting a picture of "multilayered webs of abuse" (p. 115). He shows that preconceptions about manhood and what constitutes rape, as well as enduring stereotypes of Black men's hypersexuality and white women's passivity, have led to the assumption that enslaved men must have been willing participants in sexual encounters. Such factors have delayed scholarly recognition of the sexual exploitation of enslaved men. Foster builds on the literature that defines rape as a demonstration of dominance, arguing that consent cannot exist in the midst of the stark asymmetries of power that characterized slavery. Though focused mainly on the United States, Foster is expansive in his chronological and geographic coverage of slavery in the Western Hemisphere. He draws from a wide range of sources, including newspapers, court records, and the personal narratives of enslavers and the enslaved, as well as various forms of Western art.

Foster opens by tracing the eroticization of the Black male body, including sexualized display, torture, and the sexual overtones of whipping. He suggests that sexual abuse took a significant "psychic toll" on enslaved men and makes important observations about the limitations of available sources (p. 30). Abolitionist literature designed for persuasion was unlikely to directly confront the sexual assault of men. Although Foster situates his work in the burgeoning scholarship on masculinity, he stops short of exploring the full range of masculine expression in slave communities. The book is at its strongest when posing overarching questions, but it occasionally slips in its attention to detail. For instance, on page 35, a discussion of Henry Bibb's commentary on [End Page 337] marriage seems to conflate his two different wives (see Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave [1849], pp. 190–92). In addition, the framing of the Rufus and Rose story works well for some chapters and is more tenuous for others.

Foster defines forced reproduction as a sexual violation of enslaved men and women. Forced pairing created hierarchies of status that benefited some men and undermined the masculine identity of others. These practices isolated men, both the favored and the disfavored, in different ways. Foster convincingly argues that the dehumanization of sexual exploitation had a multifaceted impact and contributed to social isolation and community fragmentation. Foster also approaches regular sexual contact between white women and enslaved men, as revealed by divorce and court records, through the "lens of sexual exploitation" (p. 69). White women could and did use their agency and power within the southern social hierarchy to engage in sexual aggression and experimentation, exploiting Black bodies in ways similar to the well-documented abuses perpetrated by white men on enslaved women. This is an especially valuable contribution, though the chapter would benefit from better incorporating Diane Miller Sommerville's extensive work on slavery, rape, and race.

Foster ends by considering same-sex sexuality and abuses, again elucidating ongoing biases and oversights in the scholarship. The tendency to apply the term "friendship" to male relationships, Foster states, "runs the risk of closing down queer possibilities" (p. 91). He uses art to delve further into white objectification of Black male bodies and demonstrates the particular vulnerability of enslaved male valets to sexual violation by white men. Overall, this book expands our understanding of the brutalities of slavery and opens up new avenues for further study.