Rich, imaginative, and suggestive . . . Simultaneously demonstrates the immense burdens that freedpeople shouldered in the pursuit of family and community development and the multifaceted and creative energies they brought to the tasks. . . . This small but fascinating book makes a number of important contributions to our understanding of black life in the postemancipation South.

—Journal of American History

Provides a wonderfully nuanced look at the actual lives of African American farmers over the course of the late nineteenth century.

—Georgia Historical Quarterly

A valuable resource for those interested in the struggle of freedpeople in the South.

—Labor History

A useful study of national policy implemented on the local level. Freedom obtained after the Civil War raised questions about the exact status of the former slaves and about how they would fit into the social and economic structures of the South. . . . As an integral part of this study, Holt emphasizes the important role that the freed women played in the transfer from a slave to a free society, showing that even though many histories ignore their role, their household production made a significant contribution to family well-being. This book is useful for a better understanding of the impact made by the Civil War beyond its military and political effects. It is also useful in understanding late-19th-century women's history and economic history.

—Choice

Celebrates the vision and achievements of the first generation of freedpeople in North Carolina.

—Florida Historical Quarterly

Highlights the role of household production played after the Civil War in advancing the economic condition of the freedpeople. It accomplishes this through painstaking and detailed research as well as innovative methodology.

—Robert C. Kenzer, author of Enterprising Southerners: Black Economic Success in North Carolina, 1865-1915