| Unit name | The History and Legacies of Slavery |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISTM0087 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Stone |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
It is impossible to fully understand the history of people of African descent in the west without considering the impact of slavery. The forced movement of millions of people across the Atlantic to a life of enslavement in the New World colonies was a transformative moment, both for those involved, and in terms of shaping the lives of future 'generations right through to the present day. It is a history which is also deeply bound up with the city of Bristol, which in its eighteenth-century ‘heyday’ was one of the most important centres for the transatlantic slave trade. 'As the oft quoted phrase states, ‘the bricks of Bristol are baked in the blood of 'slaves’'. Money from both the slave trade and the wider slave economy found its way into every corner of the city’s life. Bristol, therefore, is an ideal place to study the history and legacies of slavery.
Using the city of Bristol as a window onto the broader history of slavery, this unit takes a transnational and transhistorical approach. We will consider the evolution of broader historical processes, and their local and personal impacts. Key areas of enquiry include: How does Atlantic slavery compare to other slave systems? What role did concepts of ‘race’ play in its evolution? What was the economic impact of slavery? How is slavery remembered 'across the world today'? What are the ongoing consequences of Atlantic slavery?
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
One two-hour weekly seminar.
One 5000-word essay (100%). [ILOs 1-4].
Madge Dresser, Slavery Obscured: The Social History of the Slave Trade in Bristol, (Bristol, 2007).
Kenneth Morgan, Slavery and the British Empire: From Africa to America, (Oxford, 2007)
Olivette Otele, 'Bristol, slavery and the politics of representation: the Slave Trade Gallery in the Bristol Museum', Social Semiotics, 22/2 (2012), pp. 155-172.
Ana Lucia Araujo, Politics of Memory: Making Slavery' Visible in the Public Space (New York, 2012) Eric Williams, Capitalism and Slavery (North Carolina, 1944).
