Winner of:
- The Black Caucus of the American Library Association Nonfiction Book Award
- The Tampa Bay Historical Society's D. B. McKay Award
- The Florida Historical Society's Rembert Patrick Award for Best Book in Florida History "A thoroughly researched and balanced account of the slave experience in Florida."--Journal of American History

"The greater social and economic freedom born of Spanish influence and close relationships between rebellious blacks and Seminoles set the stage for the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history. A fascinating account of a variant experience of an institution too often viewed from a single perspective."--Booklist

"Rivers takes a very close look at slave society from various angles, as he evaluates not only slave life but the interaction of whites, blacks, and Indians. . . . Makes for a rich and multi-layered history."--Southern Historian

"Shows how slavery differed dramatically in different regions of the state and how, in fact, it evolved over the years in those areas."--Tallahassee Democrat

"Addresses how Florida's history and geography produced conditions unlike those elsewhere in the American South."--Journal of Southern History