West African Slavery and Atlantic Commerce: The Senegal River Valley, 1700–1860 (African Studies, Series Number 77) - Softcover

Searing, James F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521534526 ISBN 13: 9780521534529

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2003

Synopsis

The author shows how the societies of West Africa were transformed by the slave trade. The growth of the Atlantic trade stimulated the development of slavery within the region, with slaves working in the river and coasting trades or producing surplus grain to feed slaves in transit. A few held pivotal positions in the political structure of the coastal kingdoms of Senegambia. This local slave system had far-reaching consequences, leading to religious protest and slave rebellions. The changes in agricultural production fostered an ecological crisis.

About this title

Review

"This is a very important book. It integrates the history of slavery into the wider history of the region. It is well documented and skillfully argued. Perhaps most important, Searing has helped to shift our attention from raw numbers exported to the ways in which the slave trade shaped African life. He has contributed to our understanding of not only slavery, but also of Sénégalese history." African Studies Review

"...the book occupies a major niche in African and Atlantic history, as well as the more specialized field of Senegambian history, and will have a long scholarly life." David Eltis, The Northern Mariner

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0521534526
• ISBN 13: 9780521534529
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 268