Nelson provides a study of the ways in which Anglo-American authors constructed "race" in their works from the time of the first British colonists through the period of the Civil war. Choosing texts which assume a variety of positions on the issue of race, both fictional and non-fictional, Nelson traces its development at the level of ongoing cultural subjugation. Looking at race as a fictional construct and a cultural apparatus, she explores how these texts strategize race for their larger culture, and how they contribute to the continuing debate.

Dana D. Nelson is Associate Professor of English at Louisiana State University. She is the editor of the Oxford edition of Rebecca Rush's Kelroy.