Description:
Since the days of antiquity, people have been forced into servitude because of differences in gender, race, class, religion, or level of power. For just as long, those under subjugation have rebelled against it. From the Palmares in Brazil to pre-Civil War slave revolts to the modern-day Hutu/Tutsi conflict, this volume discusses age and gender, caste and class, and origin and ethnicity as the factors, effects and legacy of one of the oldest and most outrageous human practices.
Thematic chapters present an in-depth survey of major slave rebellions throughout modern history, from all areas of the globe. Topics include the Maroons of Jamaica, Slave revolts in Sub Saharan Africa, major slave rebellions in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Apartheid and forced labor in the 20th century. Ready reference features such as primary documents and biographies of key figures round out the work.
Brief description:
Johannes Postma taught European and African History at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he is now Emeritus Professor. He is author of The Atlantic Slave Trade (Greenwood 2003), The Dutch in the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1600-1815 (1990), and is editor and co-author of Riches from Atlantic Commerce: Dutch Transatlantic Trade and Shipping, 1585-1817 (2003). Since his retirement in 2001, he has lived in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.
Review Quotes:
"Well researched and informative, this work offers an in-depth survey of the world's major slave revolts and touches on many of the lesser-known aspects of them. Little has been written about this topic since the documentation of the subject is relatively scanty (largely because slave revolts were rarely successful)....This intriguing reference stands alone in its field and will be a solid addition." --School Library Journal
"High school students and up will learn about historic events that have shaped the world." --MultiCultural Review "The author puts forward a global view on the topic and adds chapters on pre-1500s peasant uprisings, marronage (rebellion through flight), and slave leadership roles. Common themes of harsh treatment and the threat of punishment are echoed in the short biographies and primary-source documents that supplement a text written for advanced researchers." --Curriculum Connections "...this volume seems like a useful addition to college and school libraries, particularly if institutions can add complementary books in the series." --ARBA