This book seeks to explore, in a single, short, convenient text, the complex relationship between Africa and the Americas from the early 16th century through the end of the 20th century.
This book seeks to explore, in a single, short convenient text, the complex relationship between Africa and the Americas from the early sixteenth century through the end of the twentieth century. Beginning with a preview of the relations between Africa and Europe prior to 1500, the work covers chronologically the transatlantic slave trade, domestic slave trading, slave systems, the abolition movements, and the aftermath of emancipation throughout the Americas. Several chapters provide sweeping surveys of broad regions such as British North America, the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, the Andean countries and Latin America. Others deal with specific territories such as the United States, Venezuela, Cuba or Brazil. The book begins with a chapter on African antiquity and early contacts with Europe. It continues with a comparative history of the slave trade and emancipation. Other topics include the role of free blacks throughout the Americas, women and gender relations, and African-American relations with Europeans and Native American populations. Finally, the book concludes with chapters on modern race and economic relations in the Americas and a chapter on the continuing ties between African Americans and Africa. "On the whole Africans in the Americas accomplishes its purpose well, there is a great deal of fascinating information here. A very useful text." The International Journal of African Historical Studies 28, 633-65 (1995) Michael L. Conniff earned degrees at UC-Berkeley and Stanford (Ph.D. 1976) and has published a number of books on modern Latin American history, most recently A History of Modern Latin America (with Lawrence Clayton) and Populism in Latin America. Thomas J. Davis, Ph.D., J.D., teaches history and law at Arizona State University in Tempe, focusing on race and the law, civil rights, and U.S. constitutional and legal history. His most recent publications include "Race, Identity, and the Law: Underlying Questions in Plessy v. Ferguson," in Race on Trial: Law and Justice in American History (2002); "The Community of Africans in the Americas: Colonialism to CARICOM and TransAfrica" Research and Diversity Journal (2002) and "Conspiracy and Credibility," William and Mary Quarterly (2002). CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Patrick Carroll ▪ David Eltis ▪ Patience Essah ▪ Alfr