For their North American owners, African slaves presented two crucial advantages over other forms of labor: They could be held for life, and they had almost no hope of escape. Many factors worked against would-be runaways and rebels among the slave population. First, they lived in a completely foreign country, and in most places, they were a long way from any possible assistance from sympathetic fellow slaves or abolitionists. Second, they could easily be betrayed by fellow slaves in whom they placed their confidence. Bounties and rewards for runaway slaves were always widely advertised in newspapers, by word of mouth, and on posters. Anyone laying plans for escape had to face the fact that capture was almost certain and also meant a harsh punishment when the owner whipped, branded, and tortured the runaway to set a frightening example for those who had remained...