The american slave coast offers a provocative vision of us history from earliest colonial times through emancipation that presents even the most familiar events and figures in a revealing new light. Instead of treating slavery as a source of unpaid labor, as it is typically understood, they focus on the ownership aspect. Dec 31, 2015 the american slave coast describes a nation founded in genocide and maintained by an economy based almost entirely on the slave trade. Nov 12, 2015 ned and constance sublette, who wrote the american slave coast. A sprawling study of the lucrative slave economy of the south, from importation to breeding.
Aboriginal slavery on the northwest coast of north america. It also cites many supreme court decisions relevant to the time that were also of particular interest. In captain rileys words, i had only been tutored in the school of adversity, in order that i might be prepared for fulfilling the purpose for which i had been created. It was the principal source of slaves from w africa from the 16th cent. The american slave coast tells the horrific story of how the slavery business in the united states made the reproductive labor of breeding women essential to the expansion of the nation. The two principal ports of embarkation for slaves in the region were ouidah and lagos. A future history of the united states pacific standard. Yaa gyasi was born in ghana and grew up in huntsville. The american slave coast is a big book, both physically over 700 pages including citations and conceptually. The slave merchants, captains and tavern keepers would conspire to run sailors into debt, and they would either be thrown in jail or sold directly to the slave ship captain. Sufferings in africa is an autobiographical tale of captain james riley, an american naval captain, who was shipwrecked off the coast of north africa in 1815. Guinea, the forest and coastal areas of western africa between the tropic of cancer and the equator. No one imagined that the japanese translation of the book, incidents in the life of a slave girl by harriet ann jacobs 1861, would become a longselling hit in japan when it was first. On a 1747 map, as shown in the bottom right picture, the kingdom of juda or whidah is clearly in the area named the slave coast and there is a town named juda or whidah close to the coast.
American slavery documents digital collections duke. Not only were terrorized human beings bought and sold. Rubenstein rare book and manuscript library at duke. The author reveals the extent which bounty hunters will go to get black men away from.
The american slave coast by ned and constance sublette is a massive labor of love and scholarship that focuses on our peculiar institution, american chattel slavery. Live and ready to take any questions that may come to mind on this new book on the middle passage, published by univ of illinois press. There have been a handful of books that examined slave breeding dating back to 1931 when frederic bancroft wrote s lave trading in the old south, which surveyed how the breeding and rearing of enslaved people. Each book has a scene in which a sanitized version of slavery is performed for a white audience. Abc slavery book zong tobacco was a major cash crop for america.
T she section of the west african coast known to europeans as the slave coast was, as the name implies, a major source for the transatlantic slave trade between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Ned and constance sublette, who wrote the american slave coast. The best history books of 2015 history smithsonian magazine. Once they reached the coast, some captives were taken to slave forts or compounds, where they waited for a slave vessel to arrive. Why a 19th century american slave memoir is becoming. Sep 01, 2017 each book has a scene in which a sanitized version of slavery is performed for a white audience. Slave coast simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Authors ned and constance sublette tell the brutal story of how the slavery industry made the reproductive labor of the people it referred to as. The slave coast is the name of the coastal areas of present togo, benin formerly dahomey and western nigeria. The slave boom in the 1700s is the main reason why slavery was so large in the u. From advertisements to shipping news articles, researchers can find mentions of slave ships names, their captains, and descriptions of the people on. A region of coastal western africa along the bight of benin used as the exportation base for slaves from the 1500s to the early 1800s.
My most recent book, from the university of illinouis press, is slavery at sea. This book is a true account of a black male who was framed by two of the law. Beginning with the arrival of the first englishmen on the. On a 1747 map, as shown in the bottom right picture, the kingdom of juda or whidah is clearly in the area named the slave coast and. Including their own narratives of emancipation by david. The american slave coast ned and constance sublet visited washington college on 11415 to talk about their book. Long after the civil wars final shots were fired, hundreds of thousands of africanamericans were held captive and forced to work hard labor without compensation. In fact, alabama figures prominently in the last half of this debut novel, a sweeping account of a new people whose history and culture. In precolonial times it was one of the most densely populated parts of the african continent. A history of the slave breeding industry talk about their book in new orleans, nov. This book introduces to the general reader something that only serious historians of the slavery era grasp. This is a fertile region of coastal western africa along the bight of benin. The american slave coast audiobook by ned sublette. Slave coast synonyms, slave coast pronunciation, slave coast translation, english dictionary definition of slave coast.
The american slave coast, which discusses the slave breeding industry of the east coast. Testimony of a thousand witnesses is a book written by the american abolitionist theodore dwight weld, his wife angelina grimke, and her sister sarah grimke, which was published in 1839. In the underground railroad this includes cora sitting at a spinning wheel as a human exhibit in the museum of natural wonders, and in homegoing there is a jazz show in which actors portraying enslaved men sing about how lazy they are and how lucky. Slave coast, name given by european traders to the coast bordering the bight of benin on the gulf of guinea, w africa. Slave coast article about slave coast by the free dictionary. This is the kingdom of juda judah in west africa in 1747. American book award winner 2016the american slave coast offers a provocative vision of us history from earliest colonial times through emancipation that presents even the most familiar events and figures in a revealing new light. He shows that northwest coast servitude, relatively neglected by researchers in the past, fits an appropriate crosscultural definition of slavery. Mustakeem, a professor of history and african and africanamerican studies at washington university in st. The book shows how slaves children, and their childrens children, were human savings accounts that were the basis of. It takes place in 1840s new orleans and involves a court case about this slave s legal status. Many of these fortresses still stand on the coasts of africa, at places like ilmina and goree island, as ruined monuments to the cruel economy of years past.
Including their own narratives of emancipation by david w. A history of the slavebreeding industry talk about their book in new. Derived from the berber word aguinaw, or gnawa, meaning black man hence akal niguinamen, or land of the black men, the term was first adopted by the portuguese and, in forms such as guinuia. The arab slave trade was at least a thousand years old. The american slave coast offers a provocative vision of us history from earliest colonial times through emancipation that. American book award winner 2016the american slave coast offers a provocative vision of us history from earliest colonial times through emancipation that. Mar 25, 2008 the arab slave trade was at least a thousand years old. Eighteenthcentury newspapers found in genealogybanks archives report of the comings and goings of slave ships, when the african slave trade was still legal. In 1808, the importation of slaves was banned in the united states for protectionist rather than humanitarian measures, signaling a changeover to a domestic slave trade. Louis, investigates how slave ships functioned as social spaces in this detailladen account. S after the slave boom of the 1700s, came the cotton boom of the. Slave coast definition of slave coast by the free dictionary.
Documenting multiple aspects of slavery and its development in north america, this collection provides more than one hundred excerpts from personal accounts, songs, legal documents, diaries, letters, and other written sources. In this book, the american slave coast, ned and constance sublette present a detailed history of the united states as it pertains to the slave trade. The book shows how slaves children, and their childrens children, were human savings accounts that were the basis of money and credit. Slave coast, in 18th and 19thcentury history, the section of the coast of the gulf of guinea, in africa, extending approximately from the volta river in the west to lagos, in modern nigeria, or, alternatively, the niger delta in the east in the presentday republics of togo, benin, and nigeria. To help produce and harvest it, the use of slaves was needed. The book shows how slaves children, and their childrens children, were human. Sufferings in africa goodreads meet your next favorite book. American book award winner 2016 the american slave coast offers a provocative vision of us history from earliest colonial times through emancipation that presents even the most familiar events and. You add the european slave trade with european colonialism and you get some pretty scary statistics. A history of the slavebreeding industry coauthors ned and constance sublette, in conversation with gwen thompkins, host of the radio show music inside out. The european slave trade, on the other hand, lasted for a much shorter period of time but led to more slaves and more casualties. The american slave coast describes a nation founded in genocide and maintained by an economy based almost entirely on the slave trade. However, comparatively little attention has been given to the prolific slave trade that was carried out by pirates, or corsairs, along the barbary coast as it was called by europeans at the time, in what is now morocco, algeria, tunisia, and libya, beginning around 1600 ad. It takes place in 1840s new orleans and involves a court case about this slaves legal status.
Dec 17, 2015 the best history books of 2015 beyond the boldface names are these chronicles from the past year that are well worth your time by t. Free and open to the public, followed by a book signing and catered reception. With his investigation of slavery on the northwest coast of north america, leland donald makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the aboriginal cultures of this area. The lost german slave girl by john bailey was a fascinating read. Major slave trading regions of africa, 15th19th centuries the slave coast is a historical name formerly used for that part of coastal west africa along the bight of benin that. Terror, sex, and sickness in the middle passage urbana. Authors ned and constance sublette tell the brutal story of how the slavery industry made the reproductive labor of. A wideranging, powerful, alternative vision of the history of the united states and how the slave breeding industry shaped it the american slave coast tells the horrific story of how the slavery business in the united states made the reproductive labor of breeding women essential to the expansion of the nation.
In captain rileys words, i had only been tutored in the school of adversity, in order that i might be prepared for fulfilling the purpose for. His arrest led him to become the first victim in madera county, california, under the three strike mandatory sentencing law. The reasons they served on slave ship voyages were many and complicated. Reading this book, the foundation of so many of our current problems are revealed as having been laid hundreds of years ago. The best history books of 2015 beyond the boldface names are these chronicles from the past year that are well worth your time by t. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Major slave trading regions of africa, 15th19th centuries the slave coast is a historical name formerly used for that part of coastal west africa along the bight of benin that is located between the volta river and the lagos lagoon. Ned and constance sublette, the american slave coast porter. The book demonstrates how americas cherished institutions. A history of the slavebreeding industry talk about their book in new orleans, nov.
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