A really, really great historical study that spans American History centering primarily on a county in central Alabama. Cowrie's thesis is that when (white) people speak of freedom they mean their freedom to do what they want no matter who it hurts. He traces the story from the time when land is being taken away from Native Americans to all the ways over the years minority voting rights have been taken away ending with the January sixth attack on the capital to overturn the election. An excellent thought provoking study. ( )

Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for History and well-deserved: https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/jefferson-cowie

Freedom's Dominion from Jefferson Cowie is an excellent look at how freedom is often, by whites who feel they are losing their entitlement, defined and manifests as opposition to the federal government.

For many who support a more just and equitable society it can be difficult to grasp the ways in which many whites utilize the concept of freedom to justify an undeserved and often violent domination over other groups. Yes, we can sorta grasp their twisting of the idea but only vaguely. Cowie does a commendable job of showing just how, in the eyes of these people, they are fighting for freedom. The thing that will still surprise us, though, will be that those people see nothing wrong with freedom being purposely and intentionally at the expense of, and on the backs of, other groups.

To the extent that a warped idea of freedom can be treated fairly, Cowie does a great job. Without endorsing those ideas he carefully lays out the how and why of their rationale. In other words, by the time we have finished the book, we do better understand how people can believe they are fighting for freedom. Theirs is an exclusive form while freedom is generally thought of as an inclusive idea. By not so much disguising their racism but conflating it with the idea of state's rights they can, arguably, consider it a fight for freedom. What really highlights their insincerity in the cause as defended is their eagerness to use the federal government against states and localities that don't toe their narrow-minded line.

Aside from how much this book sheds some light on current events it is also an engaging work of history. Well-written and presenting a lot of interesting information, this will appeal simply as a history book as well as a work showing the historical underpinnings of a lot of right-wing ideas about freedom.

Highly recommended for any reader with an interest in history, especially as it speaks to our current social environment.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )