African Voices on Slavery and the Slave Trade: Volume 1, The Sources

This book uses primary sources to capture the ways Africans experienced and were influenced by the slave trade.

Alice Bellagamba (Edited by), Sandra E. Greene (Edited by), Martin A. Klein (Edited by)

9780521145268, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 21 December 2017

585 pages, 23 b/w illus. 23 maps 2 tables
25.5 x 18 x 3.1 cm, 1.11 kg

'By combining so many studies that give voice to enslaved Africans into a single forum, Bellagamba, Greene, and Klein have transformed the study of slavery in a way that will require a revolutionary reassessment of what we think about slavery and how we study enslavement and resistance … a tour de force of global significance for historians, students, and all people concerned with social justice.' Paul E. Lovejoy, Canada Research Chair in African Diaspora History, York University

Though the history of slavery is a central topic for African, Atlantic world and world history, most of the sources presenting research in this area are European in origin. To cast light on African perspectives, and on the point of view of enslaved men and women, this group of top Africanist scholars has examined both conventional historical sources (such as European travel accounts, colonial documents, court cases, and missionary records) and less-explored sources of information (such as folklore, oral traditions, songs and proverbs, life histories collected by missionaries and colonial officials, correspondence in Arabic, and consular and admiralty interviews with runaway slaves). Each source has a short introduction highlighting its significance and orienting the reader. This first of two volumes provides students and scholars with a trove of African sources for studying African slavery and the slave trade.

Part I. Oral Traditions, Historical Tales, and Interviews
Part II. Songs, Prayers, Proverbs, and Material Culture
Part III. Written Accounts by African Authors
Part IV. European Travelers' Accounts
Part V. Colonial Reports and Documents
Part VI. Voices of Slaves in the Courtroom
Part VII. Missionary Records
Part VIII. Islamic Sources
Part IX. Contemporary African Societies and the Legacy of Slavery.

Subject Areas: Black & Asian studies [JFSL3], African history [HBJH], History [HB]