A Madman's Will

"Eye-opening and vigorously researched . . . May cogently reveals how white supremacy was not restricted to the South but permeated the nation, depicting a culture of fear and resentment around free Black settlement . . . Ultimately, May shows how such deprivations have lasting, generational consequences, illuminating inequities that persist to this day." -- Ilyon Woo - New York Times Book Review
"In 1833, the Virginia congressman John Randolph freed his nearly four hundred slaves while on his deathbed. This detailed history untangles the much publicized legal dispute that ensued . . . May cautions against ascribing honorable motives to Randolph, and stresses that those he freed continued to face prejudice and violence in the North." -- The New Yorker
"Lawyer-turned-historian May (Jefferson's Treasure) offers a fascinating account of Virginia senator John Randolph's posthumous efforts to free nearly 400 enslaved people and provide for their resettlement . . . May lucidly untangles the legal proceedings and draws vivid character sketches of Randolph and others, while building an irrefutable case that freedom is only the first step to equality. This is history at its finest." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Compelling, meticulously documented and beautifully written . . . May's account shows that 'freedom' of any kind was virtually impossible for Black people in the United States in the early 1800s, no matter how carefully planned. This important book should be of interest to a wide range of readers interested in American history." -- Roger Bishop, BookPage, starred review
"May does a good job of pointing out the contradictions of the law in both free and slave states. He also paints a vivid portrait of Randolph himself, a man who, while privately opposed to slavery, was not shy about building his fortune on the backs of enslaved people and whose liberation was less than pure . . . A twisty story that illuminates the elaborate legal system built to defend slavery and silence its discontents." -- Kirkus Reviews
"[A]n invaluable narrative that sheds light on present-day struggles for racial justice and debates about reparations." -- John Rowen - Booklist