Necropolis - Disease, Power, and Capitalism in the Cotton Kingdom

In antebellum New Orleans, whites and Blacks died in droves from yellow fever. But the fortunes of survivors were less equal. Kathryn Olivarius explores the resulting framework of "immunocapital." For whites, immunity signaled creditworthiness. For enslaved Blacks, immunity enhanced their exploitability, relegating them to the harshest labor.

About the author

Kathryn Olivarius is a historian of slavery, medicine, and disease whose writing and research has been featured in the New York Times, Scientific American, and the Washington Post. A winner of the 2024 Dan David Prize, she is Assistant Professor of History at Stanford University.

Summary

In antebellum New Orleans, whites and Blacks died in droves from yellow fever. But the fortunes of survivors were less equal. Kathryn Olivarius explores the resulting framework of “immunocapital.” For whites, immunity signaled creditworthiness. For enslaved Blacks, immunity enhanced their exploitability, relegating them to the harshest labor.

Product details

• Authors: Kathryn Olivarius
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.04.2024
• EAN: 9780674295551
• ISBN: 978-0-674-29555-1
• No. of pages: 352
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Economy, Social & cultural history, MEDICAL / History, HISTORY / United States / 19th Century, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, History of Medicine, Local History, Political Economy, Social and cultural history, United States of America, USA, History of the Americas, US South, HISTORY / African American & Black, Relating to African American / Black American people