IT IS A COMMONPLACE in the genre of acknowledgments to write
that one's book could not have been completed without the help of
many colleagues and friends, and I am not about to transgress that
generic expectation here—especially since it's the truth. To begin at
the beginning, then, the foundational and invaluable scholarship of
Carolyn L. Karcher provided the initial inspiration for my topic. In
its early stages, I received vital encouragement from Phillip Brian
Harper, who remains a model for me in both his scholarship and
his pedagogy. John Burt and Michael T. Gilmore also helped shape
the project. Jean Fagan Yellin offered constructive commentary on
a portion of the manuscript titled “Numbering by Colors: Anti-
Slavery Fiction and the 'New' Census of 1850, ” delivered to the
2000 American Studies Association convention. Michael Bennett's
comments were most useful in sharpening the focus and the lan-
guage of this study. For guiding this book into publication, I thank
Leslie Mitchner and the staff of Rutgers University Press, especially
Molly Baab and Melanie Halkias. Robert Burchfield deserves
thanks, too, for his careful copyediting.

Deep appreciation goes to Lisa Botshon, Laura Browder,
Monica Chiu, Robin Hackett, Rebecca Herzig, Melinda Plastas,
and Siobhan Senier, who read and critiqued most or all of the
book's chapters. They are chiefly responsible for keeping this un-
dertaking under sail and on course. A special thanks to Timothy
Powell for opening the right doors. Lisa MacFarlane and Andrea
Newlyn provided generous feedback and help at key points along
the way.

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