Slavery: A Global History

What if the history of slavery was bigger than you've ever been taught? From sugar plantations in the French Caribbean to the slave trading African kingdom of Dahomey, slavery shaped the modern world far beyond North America. This course invites you to explore slavery as a global system. It takes a transnational approach to the history of slavery as it unfolded across North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, West Africa and the Indian Ocean, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Alongside tackling historiographical debates, you will work with centuries-old manuscripts, artifacts and first-person accounts and learn about the slave trades, labor, cultures, racial categories, and resistance. You will also gain insights into the origins of contemporary issues surrounding inequality.