They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South

Analyze how Jones-Rogers uses counterpoints in this book. What effect do they have? How do they help Jones-Rogers accomplish her greater purpose?

Discuss the significance of the title. How does it convey the greater themes?

Jones-Rogers relies heavily on witness testimonies. Why does she do this? How do these testimonies contribute to the book as a whole?

Explore the gender dynamics in this book. How did the relationships between men and women contribute to the institution of slavery? How did the relationships between women contribute to the institution of slavery? Why?

Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how various social and political identities can lead to the creation of different forms of discrimination and privilege. What intersections does Jones-Rogers explore in They Were Her Property? How do these intersections create forms of discrimination and privilege?

What criticisms does Jones-Rogers level at historians who have discussed the role of women in the institution of slavery? How does she format these criticisms? And how effective are they?

Choose an alternative title for this book. Explain your choice of title and how it embodies the greater themes.

Jones-Rogers confronts the brutal reality of slavery in this book. Discuss how she presents this brutality to the reader and what effect these choices have.