African Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean

by Herbert S. Klein, Ben Vinson III

This is an original survey of the economic and social history of slavery of the Afro-American experience in Latin America and the Caribbean. The focus of the book is on the Portuguese, Spanish, and French-speaking regions of continental America and the Caribbean. It analyzes the latest research on urban and rural slavery and on the African and Afro-American experience under these regimes. It approaches these themes both historically and structurally. The historical section provides a detailed analysis of the evolution of slavery and forced labor systems in Europe, Africa, and America. The second half of the book looks at the type of life and culture which the salves experienced in these American regimes.

The first part of the book describes the growth of the plantation and mining economies that absorbed African slave labor, how that labor was used, and how the changing international economic conditions affected the local use and distribution of the slave labor force. Particular emphasis is given to the evolution of the sugar plantation economy, which was the single largest user of African slave labor and which was established in almost all of the Latin American colonies.

Once establishing the economic context in which slave labor was applied, the book shifts focus to the Africans and Afro-Americans themselves as they passed through this slave regime. The first part deals with the demographic history of the slaves, including their experience in the Atlantic slave trade and their expectations of life in the New World. The next part deals with the attempts of the African and American born slaves to create a viable and autonomous culture. This includes their adaptation of European languages, religions, and even kinship systems to their own needs. It also examines systems of cooptation and accommodation to the slave regime, as well as the type and intensity of slave resistances and rebellions.

A separate chapter is devoted to the important and different role of the free colored under slavery in the various colonies. The unique importance of the Brazilian free labor class is stressed, just as is the very unusual mobility experienced by the free colored in the French West Indies.

The final chapter deals with the differing history of total emancipation and how ex-slaves adjusted to free conditions in the post-abolition periods of their respective societies. The patterns of post-emancipation integration are studied along with the questions of the relative success of the ex-slaves in obtaining control over land and escape from the old plantation regimes.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Roselyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for a class at Columbia called “Slavery and Freedom in Latin America.” Found it very insightful as an overview into the topic but one which definitely needs to be supplemented with other readings. We read this book to begin the semester and in attempt to grapple with the question of our first paper: whether these regions should be considered “slave societies” where slavery was the central mode of economic production and the enslaver-enslaved relationship was the dominant social model, or “societies with slaves” where slavery was one of many modes of economic production and other kinds of social relationships existed alongside it. The book offers an abundance of evidence for both arguments.

I really learned a lot about slavery and freedom in LATAM and African countries that I had no idea about before. And a lot of it starting way before the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade of the 16th century. I recommend this as a starting resource for anyone interested in learning more about this important subject. There are chapters dedicated to particular regions such as Cuba and Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, and more.

[Andres Guzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The history of slavery in Latin America has been very much part of the history of European colonization and the development of American commodities for the European market.”

Anyone who’s read “Open Veins of Latin America” by Eduardo Galeano should read this next. The subtitle of this book could’ve easily been: “How Europe Underdeveloped Latin America.”

This book traces the history of slave labor in mining, sugar, coffee, tobacco, cacao, and cotton, from 16th century to 19th century Latin America & the Caribbean. It also covers resistance and rebellions, family structure, religion, and the abolition of slavery in all of the Americas.

If cotton was king in the U.S., then sugar was queen in Cuba, and coffee was god in Brazil. These commodities fueled European consumption and due to diseases wiping out indigenous folks in the Americas, the settlers imported slaves from Africa to help build Latin America and export these commodities back to Europe.

The Spanish brought African slaves to Colonial Mexico and Peru, then the Portuguese brought them to Brazil, and the Dutch, French, and British brought them to the West Indies.

There is so much to unpack in Latin America and this book gives a thorough layout of one aspect.

[Salvatore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good quick look at the beginnings and endings of slavery in Latin America and parts of South America. It had some eye opening moments. Not all slave societies were the same. The differences depended on the expected outcome of the colonists.

[Andres Cordoba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite liked this book, as it provided a remarkably detailed account of slavery's development in multiple regions, it's complications and the consequences it had on numerous populations. Quite a few chapters were very enlightening and changed my view of the region and the many ways labor systems developed in the period and human resilience to extreme conditions. A fascinating yet factually grounded read.

[Windy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most difficult and informative history class I took in college was centered on slavery in Latin America. I've always been interested in the history of South America, and even though much of the course material wouldn't really help me if I ever taught a standard high school history course, this book was pretty informative, although it's almost as old as I am.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prose is dry, but direct and appropriately sparse. As an introduction to the subject I can't think of a better book.