The Atlantic Slave Trade in World History

191 Pages·2015·0.91 MB·English

by  Jeremy Black

The Atlantic Slave Trade in
World History
In The Atlantic Slave Trade in World History, Jeremy Black presents a compact
yet comprehensive survey of slavery and its impact on the world, primarily
centered on the Atlantic trade. Opening with a clear discussion of the problems
of defining slavery, the book goes on to investigate the Atlantic slave trade from
its origins to abolition, including comparisons with other systems of slavery
outside the Atlantic region and the persistence of modern-day slavery. Crucially,
the book does not ask readers to abandon their emotional ties to the subject,
but puts events in context so that it becomes clear how such an institution not
only arose, but flourished.
Black shows that slavery and the slave trade were not merely add-ons to the
development of Western civilization, but intimately linked to it. In a vital and
accessible narrative, The Atlantic Slave Trade in World Historyenables students
to understand this terrible element of human history and how it shaped the
modern world.
Jeremy Black is Professor of History at the University of Exeter. He is the
author of over 100 books, including War in the Modern World, 1990–2014
and Introduction to Global Military History.
Themes in World History
Series editor: Peter N. Stearns
The Themes in World History series offers focused treatment of a range of
human experiences and institutions in the world history context. The purpose
is to provide serious, if brief, discussions of important topics as additions to
textbook coverage and document collections. The treatments will allow students
to probe particular facets of the human story in greater depth than textbook
coverage allows, and to gain a fuller sense of historians’ analytical methods
and debates in the process. Each topic is handled over time—allowing discus-
sions of changes and continuities. Each topic is assessed in terms of a range of
different societies and religions—allowing comparisons of relevant similarities
and differences. Each book in the series helps readers deal with world history
in action, evaluating global contexts as they work through some of the key
components of human society and human life.
Gender in World History
Peter N. Stearns
Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation
of Desire
Peter N. Stearns
Warfare in World History
Michael S. Neiberg
Disease and Medicine in World History
Sheldon Watts
Western Civilization in World History
Peter N. Stearns
The Indian Ocean in World History
Milo Kearney
Asian Democracy in World History
Alan T. Wood
Revolutions in World History
Michael D. Richards
Migration in World History
Patrick Manning
Sports in World History
David G. McComb
The United States in World History
Edward J. Davies, II
Food in World History
Jeffrey M. Pilcher
Childhood in World History
Peter N. Stearns
Religion in World History
John Super and Briane Turley
Poverty in World History
Steven M. Beaudoin
Premodern Travel in World
History
Steven S. Gosch and Peter N. Stearns
Premodern Trade in World History
Richard L. Smith
Sexuality in World History
Peter N. Stearns
Globalization in World History
Peter N. Stearns
Jews and Judaism in World History
Howard N. Lupovitch
The Environment in World History
Stephen Mosley
Agriculture in World History
Mark B. Tauger
Science in World History
James Trefil
Alcohol in World History
Gina Hames
Human Rights in World History
Peter N. Stearns
Peace in World History
Peter N. Stearns
The Atlantic Slave Trade in World History
Jeremy Black
The Atlantic Slave Trade
in World History
Jeremy Black
RO Routledge
U
TLED Taylor & Francis Group
G
E
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of Jeremy Black to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification
and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Black, Jeremy, 1955–
The Atlantic slave trade in world history / Jeremy Black.
pages cm.—(Themes in world history)
1. Slave trade—Atlantic Ocean Region—History. 2. Slavery—Atlantic
Ocean Region—History. I. Title.
HT1321.B54 2015
306.3′620997—dc23
2014035642
ISBN: 978-1-138-84132-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-84133-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-73229-9 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman and Gill Sans
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
For Mike Dobson
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Preface xi
List of Abbreviations xvi
1. Introduction 1
2. The Beginnings of the Atlantic Slave Trade 19
3. The Slave Trade Expands Greatly 40
4. The Slave Trade at its Height 67
5. Abolitionism 105
6. After Slavery? 143
7. Conclusions 154
Selected Further Reading 164
Index 167