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The hated cage : an American tragedy in Britain's most terrifying prison

Summary: The formidable Dartmoor Prison was the first permanent facility for prisoners of war on British soil. Known as the "hated cage," American captives-Black and white-from the War of 1812 languished in it for years, even after the war ended, stewing in frustration and rage. Although the prisoners had been racially integrated as sailors on American naval ships, Dartmoor became deeply segregated, like the United States itself. Then, on April 6, 1815, a minor flashpoint between the prisoners and the guards turned into a massacre, as guards opened fire. Nine Americans were killed, and dozens injured. It was the last time Britons intentionally killed Americans in a war-and it also led to the prisoners developing a shared national identity that began to trump their racial differences. This book provides astonishing insight into the War of 1812, a conflict which proved embarrassing to both sides, by illuminating the tensions between a massive power with a foothold still in the Americas and the upstart nation desperate for true sovereignty. Historian Nicholas Guyatt brings to vivid life the forgotten story of how these prisoners came into British custody and of how they negotiated and renegotiated their racial identities as they faced a common enemy. Drawing on extensive material from archives in Britain and the United States, he reveals how, in unlikely and dire circumstances, the men trapped within Dartmoor came together to chart a new sense of themselves-as Americans.

Record details

  • ISBN: 1541645669
  • ISBN: 9781541645660
  • Physical Description: vii, 419 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
    print
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Basic Books, 2022.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note: Part I. King Dick at Vienna. A Seafaring Life -- Getting Clear -- Spare the Vanquished -- Among the Romans -- Part II. King Dick at Bordeaux. The Unhallowed Pursuit -- Mister Beastly -- Extreme Necessity -- A World in Miniature -- Part III. King Dick at Dartmoor. Prison Four -- Hope Deferred -- The Dead House -- Going Home -- Part IV. King Dick at Boston. Remembering and Forgetting -- The Two Massacres.
Subject: United States History War of 1812 Prisoners and prisons, British
Prisoners of war United States
Prisoners of war Great Britain
Prisons England Princetown History
Dartmoor Massacre, Princetown, England, 1815
Dartmoor Prison History 19th century

Available copies

  • 5 of 6 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Iredell County Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 6 total copies.
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Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Statesville Main Library 973.527 GUY (Text) 33114018447086 Adult Nonfiction Available -

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