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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 to 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 History enables students to understand this terrible element of human history and how it shaped the modern world.
List of contents
Preface
Abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. The Beginnings of the Atlantic Slave Trade
3. The Slave Trade Expands Greatly
4. The Slave Trade At Its Height
5. Abolitionism
6. After Slavery?
7. Conclusions
About the author
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.
Summary
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 to 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 History enables students to understand this terrible element of human history and how it shaped the modern world.
Additional text
"Much has been written about the Atlantic slave trade, but Jeremy Black's new book offers fresh insights into its growth and persistence, while at the same time highlighting the deeper human tragedy of enslavement. Remarkable in its range and focus, it will prove invaluable to those looking for a general introduction to the subject."
—John Oldfield, author of Transatlantic Abolitionism in the Age of Revolution: An International History of Anti-Slavery, 1787-1820
