Junie

Junie is set during the historical period in American history known as the Antebellum Period, the era between the War of 1812 and the start of the Civil War in 1861. This time “was characterized by the rise of abolition and the gradual polarization of the country between abolitionists and supporters of slavery” (“The Antebellum Period: What Happened in America Before the Civil War.” HistoryNet). The South was defensive of its practice of enslaving African Americans because enslaved people supported the South’s cotton economy. However, in the latter decade of the Antebellum Period, debates surrounding the American slave trade began to arise around the nation. These debates led to the Abolitionist Movement, Abraham Lincoln’s presidential election, and, eventually, Southern secession and the American Civil War. These tensions are brewing during Junie’s story, even before she becomes aware of them.

Junie’s story is set in the final year of the Antebellum Period, 1861, on the eve of the South’s secession. Because Junie’s life is dictated by her enslavement, she knows little of the conflict between the Northern and Southern states that precedes the start of the war. She doesn’t have access to the political goings-on of her region, besides what she overhears from the McQueens and their guests.