Brent Tarter – författare

The decision of the eventual Confederate states to secede from the Union set in motion perhaps the most dramatic chapter in American history, and one that has typically been told on a grand scale. In Daydreams and Nightmares, however, historian Brent Tarter shares the story of one Virginia family who found themselves in the middle of the secession debate and saw their world torn apart as the states chose sides and went to war.George Berlin was elected to serve as a delegate to the Virginia Convention of 1861 as an opponent of secession, but he ultimately changed his vote. Later, when defending his decision in a speech in his hometown of Buckhannon, Upshur County, he had to flee for his safety as Union soldiers arrived. Berlin and his wife, Susan Holt Berlin, were separated for extended periods--both during the convention and, later, during the early years of the Civil War. The letters they exchanged tell a harrowing story of uncertainty and bring to life for the modern reader an extended family that encompassed both Confederate and Union sympathizers.This is in part a love story. It is also a story about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. Although unique in its vividly evoked details, the Berlins’ story is representative of the drama endured by millions of Americans. Composed during the nightmare of civil war, the Berlins’ remarkably articulate letters express the dreams of reunion and a secure future felt throughout the entire, severed nation. In this intimate, evocative, and often heartbreaking family story, we see up close the personal costs of our larger national history.

A new look at the Black Virginians who defined and realized their freedom after the collapse of slavery“Verily, the work does not end with the abolition of slavery,” wrote Frederick Douglass in 1862, “but only begins.” The Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment altered a legal status; to make freedom a reality represented a different challenge altogether.Justice for Ourselves tells the stories of remarkable Black men and women in post–Civil War Virginia who persevered in the face of overwhelming barriers to seek their freedom and create a new world for themselves and future generations. Drawing on the life stories of individuals from all regions of the state—political leaders, teachers, ministers, journalists, and entrepreneurs—Justice for Ourselves recounts their quests to attain full American citizenship and economic independence before the onset of Jim Crow repression. Centering Black voices, this book includes tales of opportunities seized and opportunities lost and will reshape the narrative of Black history and the history of Virginia in the second half of the nineteenth century.

Illuminating stories of colonial life from the dean of Virginia history How did ordinary people experience life in the colonial era, from the humdrum happenings of the day-to-day to the extraordinary events still familiar to millions? In his latest book, renowned historian Brent Tarter paints a vibrant, colorful portrait of the Old Dominion in the era before the Revolution, presenting a new collection of stories culled from the depths of his unparalleled career in archival research. Using the language of his historical subjects, Tarter brings the experience of the past to life in his own inimitable but readily accessible style. Vignettes of Colonial Virginia encompasses thirty-three episodes in total, ranging chronologically from 1607 to the eve of the War for Independence, and features stories of Virginians of all backgrounds and stripes, told with startling immediacy. With the 250th anniversary of the declaration of American independence upon us, this book situates the reader among the ordinary people who lived on the eve of those extraordinary times.

Illuminating stories of colonial life from the dean of Virginia history How did ordinary people experience life in the colonial era, from the humdrum happenings of the day-to-day to the extraordinary events still familiar to millions? In his latest book, renowned historian Brent Tarter paints a vibrant, colorful portrait of the Old Dominion in the era before the Revolution, presenting a new collection of stories culled from the depths of his unparalleled career in archival research. Using the language of his historical subjects, Tarter brings the experience of the past to life in his own inimitable but readily accessible style. Vignettes of Colonial Virginia encompasses thirty-three episodes in total, ranging chronologically from 1607 to the eve of the War for Independence, and features stories of Virginians of all backgrounds and stripes, told with startling immediacy. With the 250th anniversary of the declaration of American independence upon us, this book situates the reader among the ordinary people who lived on the eve of those extraordinary times.

The first biography of a neglected but crucial revolutionary figure and fascinating window into his worldStudy the American Revolution and you might miss the name Robert Carter Nicholas; study Robert Carter Nicholas and you will see the entire revolution. This is the first biography of the Virginia patriot who served in the House of Burgesses and has gone down in history as an opponent of Patrick Henry—though the reality is more complicated.In reconstructing Nicholas's life, Brent Tarter recovers late colonial Virginian society in all of its complexity, showing how men and women of the upper classes lived; how they depended on slavery for their wealth and social status; how they were surrounded by enslaved people almost all of the time; how they brought up and educated their children; how the complex international tobacco economy operated; and how the institutions of government functioned.The life of Robert Carter Nicholas illustrates like few others how a decade of profoundly important challenges and changes culminated in the decision of elite leaders—who at first glance appear to have had nothing to gain and much to lose by risking a revolution—to vote for independence from Great Britain in 1776.

The first biography of a neglected but crucial revolutionary figure and fascinating window into his worldStudy the American Revolution and you might miss the name Robert Carter Nicholas; study Robert Carter Nicholas and you will see the entire revolution. This is the first biography of the Virginia patriot who served in the House of Burgesses and has gone down in history as an opponent of Patrick Henry—though the reality is more complicated.In reconstructing Nicholas's life, Brent Tarter recovers late colonial Virginian society in all of its complexity, showing how men and women of the upper classes lived; how they depended on slavery for their wealth and social status; how they were surrounded by enslaved people almost all of the time; how they brought up and educated their children; how the complex international tobacco economy operated; and how the institutions of government functioned.The life of Robert Carter Nicholas illustrates like few others how a decade of profoundly important challenges and changes culminated in the decision of elite leaders—who at first glance appear to have had nothing to gain and much to lose by risking a revolution—to vote for independence from Great Britain in 1776.

Illuminating and captivating stories of life in the American Revolutionary era, from the dean of Virginia historyBrent Tarter knows how to make history come alive. More than that, he knows that the best histories encompass everyone, not just "great men" making speeches in domed statehouses. Drawing on a celebrated career's worth of experience in the archive, producing scholarship aimed not at the ivory tower but at the general reader, Vignettes of Revolutionary Virginia gathers together the most dramatic, poignant, and compelling tales of ordinary people who lived through the extraordinary days of the American Revolution.As in Vignettes of Colonial Virginia, Tarter relates the incredible stories of his subjects in their own words. They show how life for everyone in Virginia then was radically different from life for anyone in Virginia now. They illuminate the differences that emerged between the struggle for independence and the revolution that it set in motion, and they illustrate the consequences of the disconnect between the Revolutionary language of liberty of 1776 and the continuing existence of slavery and of the hierarchical society of the colonial period. The past may be a foreign country, but Tarter is a handy, engaging guide.

Illuminating and captivating stories of life in the American Revolutionary era, from the dean of Virginia historyBrent Tarter knows how to make history come alive. More than that, he knows that the best histories encompass everyone, not just "great men" making speeches in domed statehouses. Drawing on a celebrated career's worth of experience in the archive, producing scholarship aimed not at the ivory tower but at the general reader, Vignettes of Revolutionary Virginia gathers together the most dramatic, poignant, and compelling tales of ordinary people who lived through the extraordinary days of the American Revolution.As in Vignettes of Colonial Virginia, Tarter relates the incredible stories of his subjects in their own words. They show how life for everyone in Virginia then was radically different from life for anyone in Virginia now. They illuminate the differences that emerged between the struggle for independence and the revolution that it set in motion, and they illustrate the consequences of the disconnect between the Revolutionary language of liberty of 1776 and the continuing existence of slavery and of the hierarchical society of the colonial period. The past may be a foreign country, but Tarter is a handy, engaging guide.

This is the only modern comprehensive constitutional history of any state, and as a history of Virgina, it is one of the oldest and most complex. Virginia’s state legislature is the Virginia General Assembly, which was established in July 1619, making it the oldest current lawmaking body in North America. Brent Tarter’s Constitutional History of Virginia covers over three hundred years of Virginia’s legislative policy, from colony to statehood, revealing its political and legal backstory.From the very beginning in 1606, when James I chartered the Virginia Company to establish a commercial outpost on the Atlantic coast of North America, through the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the fundamental constitutions of the colony and state of Virginia have evolved and changed as the demographic, economic, political, and cultural characteristics of Virginia changed. Elements of the colonial constitution influenced the character of the state’s first constitution in 1776, and changing relationships between the people and their government, as well as relationships between the state and federal governments, have influenced how the state’s constitution has evolved. Tarter explores that evolution and taps into its relevance to the people who have lived and still live in Virginia.

This is the only modern comprehensive constitutional history of any state, and as a history of Virgina, it is one of the oldest and most complex. Virginia’s state legislature is the Virginia General Assembly, which was established in July 1619, making it the oldest current lawmaking body in North America. Brent Tarter’s Constitutional History of Virginia covers over three hundred years of Virginia’s legislative policy, from colony to statehood, revealing its political and legal backstory.From the very beginning in 1606, when James I chartered the Virginia Company to establish a commercial outpost on the Atlantic coast of North America, through the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the fundamental constitutions of the colony and state of Virginia have evolved and changed as the demographic, economic, political, and cultural characteristics of Virginia changed. Elements of the colonial constitution influenced the character of the state’s first constitution in 1776, and changing relationships between the people and their government, as well as relationships between the state and federal governments, have influenced how the state’s constitution has evolved. Tarter explores that evolution and taps into its relevance to the people who have lived and still live in Virginia.