Under the Flags of Freedom : Slave Soldiers and the Wars of Independence in Spanish South America.

Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1. A Historical Tradition -- Chapter 2. Serving the King in Venezuela and New Granada -- Chapter 3. Fighting for the Patria in the Rio de la Plata -- Chapter 4. Changing Loyalties in the North -- Chapter 5. Controlling Slave Recruitment in Chile and Peru -- Chapter 6. Recruitment and Resistance -- Chapter 7. The Personal War of Slave Women -- Chapter 8. The Survival of Slavery -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

During the wars for independence in Spanish South America (1808-1826), thousands of slaves enlisted under the promise of personal freedom and, in some cases, freedom for other family members. Blacks were recruited by opposing sides in these conflicts and their loyalties rested with whomever they believed would emerge victorious. The prospect of freedom was worth risking one's life for, and wars against Spain presented unprecedented opportunities to attain it. Blanchard's study investigates the issue of slavery from the perspectives of Royalists, patriots, and slaves. He examines the wartime political, ideological, and social dynamics that led to slave recruitment, and the subsequent repercussions in the immediate postindependence era. Under the Flags of Freedom sheds new light on the vital contribution of slaves to the wars for Latin American independence.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.