Название: Encyclopedia of Antislavery and Abolition [Two Volumes] [2 volumes]
Издательство: Greenwood
Автор: Peter P. Hinks and John Mckivigan
Год: 2006
Количество страниц: 856
Формат: PDF
Размер: 8 mb
Язык: English

Part of Greenwood's Milestones in African American History series, this set covers the ideology and activism of the various international movements that resisted and ultimately led to the repeal of slavery. Though the focus is mainly on the Atlantic World in the 1700s and 1800s, entries trace the changing fortunes of slavery worldwide, from early beliefs in the necessity, righteousness, and divine approval of the peculiar institution to the later beliefs in the mid–nineteenth century that slavery was evidence of moral decay in a society and little short of evil incarnate. Overall, the encyclopedia outlines and explains the various antislavery movements—their origins, structures, accomplishments, seminal figures, and historic import. The consequences of manumission are covered in great detail as well, with reverberations that often reach to the present day. A nine-page introduction lays the groundwork for the encyclopedia by providing historical background—namely that slavery was believed by many to be in harmony with the essential tenets of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Around 330 alphabetical entries cover concepts; movements; events; legal, political, and social issues; and influential figures and organizations. The entries are succinct and informative and full of cross-references and suggestions for further reading. For more information, a four-page selected bibliography appears at the end of volume 2. A number of black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout the set, bringing the history to life for the user. A comprehensive chronology starts with the 1441 kidnapping of Africans by Portuguese sailors and ends with the passage of new laws in 2005 reaffirming the illegality of slavery in an African country where it still persists, Niger. A helpful "Guide to Related Topics" groups entries into categories like "Ideology and Philosophy," "Law and the Freeing of Slaves," and "Rebellions, Rescues, and Slave Resistance." Overall, this is a fine resource for users ranging from undergraduates to general readers. For more serious researchers, it is only a basic starting point, as the entries are relatively short and there are no comprehensive, scholarly essays included.

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