“Rarely does a book make an original and seminal contribution to a well-worn field, the history of emancipation.”

— Manisha Sinha, James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History, University of Connecticut

“An incredible story.”

— Bruce Baker, coeditor of After Slavery: Race, Labor, and Citizenship in the Reconstruction South

“Administering Freedom is an exceptional piece of scholarship — a story both fascinating and largely untold . . . . superb.”

— Matthew E. Stanley, Jacobin

“A remarkable achievement and invaluable contribution.”

—Elizabeth Regosin, author of Freedom’s Promise: Ex-Slave Families and Citizenship in the Age of Emancipation

“An incisive, timely book.”

— Leigh Soares, Journal of African American History