Transatlantic Slavery: An Introduction

Over the four hundred years of transatlantic slavery, at least twelve million Africans were enslaved, in the largest forced migration in human history. Drawing on a wealth of material held by the International Slavery Museum, this introductory book tells their many stories—from the early days of colonialism to frequent slave uprisings and the various efforts to suppress the slave trade in the Britain, the United States, and beyond. The legacy of slavery is also examined in this book, including enduring contemporary manifestations of this bloody trade.

 

Despite considerable scholarship on the topic, many people remain largely uninformed about the history of the slave trade. Richly illustrated, straightforward, and with a perceptive foreword by Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, this is the perfect book to introduce readers to the subject of transatlantic slavery and will be required reading for all those approaching the subject for the first time.

 

“The enslavement of Africans fueled the economic development of the United States and the world—so in that sense, African people, whether in the United States or Britain, are creditors, not debtors. From finance to cotton, shipping, and trade, no economic development in the world could have evolved without the contributions—as enslaved people—of African people.”—Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, from the Foreword