The British Empire carried more Africans into bondage in the Americas than any other nation in the world. Not only did the British slavers of the 17th and 18th centuries do the most to hone the art of slave trading, but the nation as a whole also benefited financially more than any of its competitors. The story of how Britain grew and prospered on the backs of millions of slaves is retold here in vivid detail. Renowned slavery historian James Walvin explains how the international commodity market operated, how the process of transporting millions of Africans thousands of miles across ocean and land developed, and how the experience affected slaves both in bondage and later in freedom. This is an innovative and eye-opening account of the critical relationship between slavery and the development of Britain’s cultural and economic life.
