ThefirsttellingoftheunknownstoryofAmerica’stwo-hundred-yearhistoryasaslave-tradingnation“Aworkofimpressivebreadth,deepresearch,andevenhandedanalysis.“--JamesOakes,NewYorkReviewofBooksAtotalof305,000enslavedAfricansarrivedintheNewWorldaboardAmericanvesselsoveraspanoftwohundredyearsasAmericanmerchantsandmarinerssailedtoAfricaandtotheCaribbeantoacquireandsellcaptives.Usingexhaustivearchivalresearch,includingmanycollectionsthathaveneverbeenusedbefore,historianSeanM.KelleyarguesthatslavetradingneedstobeseenasintegraltothelargerstoryofAmericanslavery.EngagingwithbothAfricanandAmericanhistoryandaddressingthetradeovertime,Kelleyexaminestheexperienceofcaptivity,drawingonmorethanahundredAfricannarrativestoofferaportraitofenslavementintheregionsofAfricafrequentedbyAmericanships.KelleyalsoprovidesasocialhistoryofthetwoAmericanportswhereslavetradingwasmostintensive,NewportandBristol,RhodeIsland.Intellingthistragic,brutal,andlargelyunknownstory,KelleycorrectsmanymisconceptionswhileleavingnodoubtthatAmericanswereanationofslavetraders.
