Burning Down the House: Slavery and Arson in America.

The article looks at the role of fire and arson in the final period and ending of slavery in the United States. It discusses the historical evidence for slaves setting many fires in the southern states as a form of rebellion against slavery, looking closely at fires in Charleston, South Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana, in the period 1830-1860. Fire as a weapon of war in the U.S. Civil War is also discussed.