Capitalism and Antislavery: British Mobilization in Comparative Perspective

Presenting a major reassessment of the roots, nature, and significance of Britain's successful struggle against slavery, this book illuminates a novel turn in the history of antislavery. For the first time, the most effective agents in the abolition process were non-slave masses. This not only set Britain off from ancient Rome, medieval western Europe, and early modern Russia, but, in scale and duration, it distinguished Britain from its 19th-century continental European counterparts as well.

"Drescher compellingly presents antislavery as one of the most successful reform movements of its time. His broad comparative framework sharpens the contrast between abolitionist developments in Britain and those on the Continent and in America. In concentrating on the crucial role of popular opinion and the economic forces which fostered it, Drescher enriches our understanding of the distinct and varied history of British antislavery....Should become a standard against which future works will be measured."--Albion

"He has mastered the vast literature on the movement and has added significant research of his own on points in dispute. To this scholarship he adds a probing critical sense that can raise fundamental thematic and interpretive questions....The research and reflection that went into it should make this book compulsory reading for years to come for all interested in the wider perspectives of antislavery."--American Historical Review

"Marshaling masses of new evidence, it digs down to what Drescher calls the 'anthropological roots' of antislavery, and puts in new perspective many facets of a long-running debate....It should appeal both to the general reader and to the specialist."--Wilson Quarterly

"Will significantly influence the course of the historical debate on British abolitionism."--Civil War History

"An effective analysis of the combined power of moral indignation, religious commitment, and politics in subduing powerful economic interests...[provides] a wealth of fascinating, sometimes grim detail...related with aplomb and an enviable command of the relevant sources."--Journal of Economic History