For almost four thousand years, men and women with power have exploited vulnerable populations for cheap or free labor. These slaves, serfs, helots, tenants, peons, bonded or forced laborers, etc., built pyramids and temples, dug canals and mined the earth for precious metals and gemstones. They built the palaces and mansions in which the powerful lived, grown the food they ate, spun the cloth that clothed them. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Slavery and Abolition relates the long and brutal history of slavery and the struggle for abolition using several key features: .Chronology .Introductory essay .Appendixes .Extensive bibliography .Over 500 cross-referenced entries on forms of slavery, famous slaves and abolitionists, sources of slaves, and current conditions of modern slavery around the world This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about slavery and abolition."

Slavery's origins lie far back in the mists of prehistoric times and have spanned the globe-two facts that most history texts fail to address. The crucial moment of transition in the evolution of slavery was the point at which the successful warriors decided that they could exploit the labor of their prisoners, forcing them into a degraded underclass. This handy paperback version of the Historical Dictionary of Slavery and Abolition provides a historical overview of slavery though the ages, from prehistoric times to the modern day. It details slavery's different forms and the circumstances existing in numerous countries and regions. A complete treatment of this cruel institution, including a discussion of the causes and cures, as well as the plight of those who fought against it.

Using oral sources, as well as official and missionary archives, Martin Klein describes the history of slavery during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in three former French colonies. He considers the impact of the Atlantic slave trade and the evolution of slavery both before the French and under their rule. While he discusses French policy, the main focus of the book is the constantly changing relationships between slave and master, and the attempts on the part of slaves to seek freedom, or autonomy where they remained in servitude.

Colonial rule started with an endless succession of small, but often brutal, wars of conquest, the moral justification for which was that the European conquerors were bringing 'civilization' to 'darkest Africa'. An intrinsic part of this so-called 'civilizing mission' was the eradication of slave raiding, slave trading and slavery, all of which were widespread on the continent.
Some of the studies in this book are on areas where there has been little research, such as the German colonies and the Algerian Sahara. Others throw new light on questions already debated, such as emancipation on the Gold Coast. Some focus on the impact of abolition on particular groups of slaves. Among the themes considered is the role of slaves in their own emancipation, the short and long term results of abolition, the role of the League of Nations, and the vestiges of slavery in Africa today.

Colonial rule began in most of Africa in the later 19th entury and lasted for about 100 years. It started with an endless succession of small, but often brutal, wars of conquest, for which the moral justification was that the European conqurors were bringing civilization to darkest Africa. An intrinsic part of this so-called civilising mission was the eradication of slave raiding, slave trading and slavery, all of which were widespread on the continent. In fact for many years in most areas, the colonial rulers, although they passed anti-slavery laws in various forms, did very little to enforce them. Instead, fearing that sudden emancipation would result in the mass departure of slaves, economic ruin and the flight or rebellion of owners, they collaborated with rulers, chiefs, and other slave owners, often bolstering their power and giving them further means of exploitation.

What were the experiences of those in Africa who suffered from the practice of slavery, those who found themselves captured and sold from person to person, those who died on the trails, those who were forced to live in fear? And what of those Africans who profited from the slave trade and slavery? What were their perspectives? How do we access any of these experiences and views? This volume explores diverse sources such as oral testimonies, possession rituals, Arabic language sources, European missionary, administrative and court records and African intellectual writings to discover what they can tell us about slavery and the slave trade in Africa. Also discussed are the methodologies that can be used to uncover the often hidden experiences of Africans embedded in these sources. This book will be invaluable for students and researchers interested in the history of slavery, the slave trade and post-slavery in Africa.

Using oral sources, as well as official and missionary archives, Martin Klein describes the history of slavery during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in three former French colonies. He considers the impact of the Atlantic slave trade and the evolution of slavery both before the French and under their rule. While he discusses French policy, the main focus of the book is the constantly changing relationships between slave and master, and the attempts on the part of slaves to seek freedom, or autonomy where they remained in servitude.

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.

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.

What were the experiences of those in Africa who suffered from the practice of slavery, those who found themselves captured and sold from person to person, those who died on the trails, those who were forced to live in fear? And what of those Africans who profited from the slave trade and slavery? What were their perspectives? How do we access any of these experiences and views? This volume explores diverse sources such as oral testimonies, possession rituals, Arabic language sources, European missionary, administrative and court records and African intellectual writings to discover what they can tell us about slavery and the slave trade in Africa. Also discussed are the methodologies that can be used to uncover the often hidden experiences of Africans embedded in these sources. This book will be invaluable for students and researchers interested in the history of slavery, the slave trade and post-slavery in Africa.

This collection of essays explores the ways that memories of African slavery and the slave trade persist into the present, as well as the effect those memories have in shaping political, social, economic, and religious behaviour today. The articles take a range of approaches: several examine the stigma that slave origins engender; one pairs lamentations about slave raiders with songs that celebrate a community's victory over a major predator; another looks at the impact of slavery through the lens of tales told by children. One author examines the techniques used by descendants of slave traders and slave owners to overcome their guilt, such as worshiping the spirits of those enslaved by their ancestors, while another shows how democratic politics has made it possible for descendants of slaves to liberate themselves from their inferior social status. The authors use a variety of sources-interviews, proverbs, songs, religious art, newspaper articles, and children's stories-to illuminate not only how people remember the past but also how they struggle to liberate themselves from it.