Unprofitable Servants: Crown Slaves in Berbice, Guyana, 1803-1831 - Softcover

The University Of The West Indies Press

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9766401209 ISBN 13: 9789766401207

Publisher: University of West Indies Press, 2002

Synopsis

In 1803, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British imperial government conquered the Dutch colony of Berbice and took over the management of presumed governmental slaves. These consisted of persons on four estates and artisans in New Amsterdam, the colony's capital, which comprised a group known as winkel (shop) slaves. The British efforts to generate a profit from these slaves caused conflict and engendered resistance. This study is important because it illustrates that the imperial government arrived at the general abolition of slavery throughout its colonies in a rather ad hoc and piecemeal fashion. The study also raises important questions about the government's commitment to general abolition, noting that the crown slaves were hardly treated better than the majority of privately owned slaves. Thompson uses a wealth of archival sources and makes a significant contribution by utilizing primary material so that the slaves themselves recount their individual experiences. The major strength of this work is that it deals with state slaves, a study that has never been done before in the historiography of slavery in the Americas.

About this title

About the Author

Alvin O. Thompson is Professor of History, Department of History and Philosophy, University of the West Indies, Barbados.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of West Indies Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9766401209
• ISBN 13: 9789766401207
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 277