American Slavery: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #396

by Heather Andrea Williams

Europeans, Africans, and American Indians practiced slavery long before the first purchase of a captive African by a white land-owner in the American colonies; that, however, is the image of slavery most prevalent in the minds of Americans today. This Very Short Introduction begins with the Portuguese capture of Africans in the 1400s and traces the development of American slavery until its abolition following the Civil War. Historian Heather Andrea Williams draws upon the rich recent scholarship of numerous highly-regarded academics as well as an analysis of primary documents to explore the history of slavery and its effects on the American colonies and later the United States of America. Williams examines legislation that differentiated American Indians and Africans from Europeans as the ideology of white supremacy flourished and became an ingrained feature of the society. These laws reflected the contradiction of America's moral and philosophical ideology that valorized freedom on one hand and justified the enslavement of a population deemed inferior on another. She explores the tense and often violent relationships between the enslaved and the enslavers, and between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates as those who benefited from the institution fought to maintain and exert their power.
Williams is attentive to the daily labors that enslaved people performed, reminding readers that slavery was a system of forced labor with economic benefits that produced wealth for a new nation, all the while leaving an indelible mark on its history.
About the Series:
Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, African American, Politics, American, Race

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

Reviews

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This "short introduction" is packed full of interesting information and fine points about American slavery. The United States practiced legal slavery for longer than it has not. Slavery was a stain upon the American Constitution and the ideals of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Williams walks us expertly through the politics, history, and culture of slavery from the beginnings of the colonies up through Emancipation. This includes details about the first slaves, the "middle passage" between Africa and the "new world;" what kinds of work slaves did; how a white minority kept a black majority in chains and perpetual slavery through law, philosophy and fake science; and how slaves survived the struggles and brutality of slavery, as individuals, and as an African Americans. I would definitely read another book by Heather Andrea Williams.

[Kyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction on the topic, at times it did feel a bit too anecdotal, but in general quite thorough introduction.

[Sher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a fair number of books about slavery in America, and I still found areas in this book that were new for me and engaging. So, I can recommend this as an excellent intro to slavery in America and a book that has value even if you have already read about this topic. Plus the bibliography is extensive and I found some other titles that I hope to read to deepen my understanding.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oxford Very Short Introduction series maintains its usual high standard in this book by Heather Williams. Williams takes the reader through the history of slavery in America, illuminating the areas she has the time to touch upon. What's just as important in a study this short is the decision what to leave out and, so far as I could see, Williams' judgement is excellent. While a true study of the subject would obviously take a lifetime of scholarship, the Very Short Introduction series allows scholars who have spent a lifetime studying a subject to distill it all down to a hundred page book. Given that, it would be churlish not to take advantage of their generosity: having not read any of the Very Short Introduction books for many years, I now resolve to work my way through what has become a very enticing list of subjects. Next stop: Richard Bauckham's very short introduction to Jesus.

[Susan O · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the topic of American slavery beginning from the early capture and sale of Africans by the Portuguese to the American Civil War. Williams has done extensive research and blends it into a smooth narrative that introduces many individuals and ideas without overwhelming the reader with details.

I have read a number of books on the topic, but still learned new things and believe that it would be a great platform for someone new to the topic to build on.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to get a general understanding of slavery in the United States, this is the book for you. A quick, easy read packed with information from primary and secondary sources.

[Am Y · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book is quite misleading - this is no "very short" introduction at all; the book actually comprises many chapters and pages and took a long time for me to get through because there was so much reading. Every chapter also goes into a lot of detail, like for instance how the slaves went about their planting routine - from how they prepared the fields, right down to how they polished rice, which I don't think would have been quite relevant in a "very short introduction" book. Also, the language used in some places seems loaded, attempting to get the reader to sympathise with the slaves.

[Aron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the ones I have read so far, this book is the ideal representative of a Very Short introduction. It focuses on a wide ranging though specific topic. The author makes no assumptions about reader’s prior knowledge of the subject. The narrative is both comprehensive yet always compelling and highly informative. You come away wanting to know more.

Moreover, though the topic is highly emotional, the author avoids propaganda, overly emotional or harsh language. She herself avoids the words “evil” or “horror” in describing slavery although her narrative makes it unequivocally clear that slavery was an evil institution and black slaves lived a life filled with horror and torment. She presents the thinking of white slave holders with only minimal commentary, letting their own words condemn them.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to begin to understand the awful institution that was US slavery and how and why it resonates in US society nearly one hundred sixty years after it was abolished.

[Dennis Seese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had just finished a biography of Robert Johnson and was preparing for a class on August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, so the displacement, devastation and disruption wrought by slavery was on my mind for myriad reasons. All of a sudden his book turned up at a book sale last Friday and it seemed eerily preordained.
I took many American history courses in college and I currently work in a high school. so the broad historical outlines of the Atlantic Slave Trade and slavery in America are familiar to me. I was hoping this book would refresh my memory and fill in some gaps.
I'm happy to say it did just that.

[Anasma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very crisp yet comprehensive introduction to the economic system of slavery in America from it’s origins in the era of the Middle Passage till the Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution. Anecdotal accounts of people who existed during those times gives a piercing insight into the actual social, cultural and political conditions of the time which were inarguably marked by the development of the ideology of racism.

[MS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in the wake of George Floyd's death (May 25, 2020).

5 anti-slavery starz for this excellent book that provides a short, but thorough introduction to American slavery, its origins and development throughout the two and a half centuries of its existence.

Well worth reading and highly recommended to anyone who wants to understand the deep historical roots of racism.

[Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, as so many of these are. A decent first stop for nuts and bolts information, with, as usual, a decent bibliography for those interested in further reading. This is now seven years old, and as quickly as thinking evolves on these matters (especially given the events of the last decade), one wonders if a revision or second edition is in the offing.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to a horrifying subject. Indeed, after reading this I have both a long list of other things to read, and a new appreciation for the scarred underpinnings of some aspects of American politics that had previously been entirely opaque.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't have anticipated how detailed and accessible this history would be. My knowledge of slavery in America has come in bits and pieces from childhood education to some of my sparse efforts and research over the past few years. I appreciated the work that Heather Andrea Williams has done to compile such a comprehensive history into this book, and one that I could carry around with me as I traveled. Despite being comprehensive, Williams infuses this history with specific examples, some of which I had never learned of before, and the prose is approachable, unlike some of the textbooks I've read in the past. This is such an important text, and one I would recommend to anyone as important reading of an embedded history of oppression whose legacies still reach into our present.

[Zj Soh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true power of short introductions: an in depth yet not intensive window into a highly important topic that I've always wanted to learn more about.

Exploring the history of slavery, the Atlantic slave trade, its root in America and eventual demise.

[Peter Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book that tries hard to include relevant atmospherics to the slave experience and which acknowledges its ongoing evil effects.

[Kevin Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very valuable text.

Terrific information provided in a concise, easy-to-read manner. A valuable and well-balance text. Not subject to the trendy whims of the moment.

[Elise Altschuler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recorded myself reading this aloud for a college student who needed it on audio! Learned a lot.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, wide-ranging, while still short, overview of the origins and experience of American Slavery with very brief review of what happened after abolition up to the civil rights movement in the 1960's.

[Rea Redd]

Well written overview and suitable for undergraduate upper level courses.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for my U.S History class.. It was very informative. Gets straight to the point.. Tells you about the important facts.

[Alexandros Semeloglou · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding analysis of American slavery and also a very comprehensive starting point to research on racism.

[Ayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

read it for research purposes but definitely a good read for everyone!!!!!! very very interesting, accessible and educational xx

[Mills College Library]

306.3 W7237 2014

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

learned two new words (iniquitous, and manumit). informative and dense, exactly what I expect from a very short introduction.