Capitalism and Slavery
Eric Williams's Capitalism & Slavery became the foundation for many future studies of imperialism and economic development. Binding an economic view of history with strong moral argument, Williams's study of the role of slavery in financing the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION REFUTED TRADITIONAL IDEAS OF ECONOMIC AND MORAL PROGRESS AND FIRMLY ESTABLISHED THE CENTRALITY OF THE African slave trade in European economic development. He also showed that mature industrial capitalism in turn helped...
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Slavery helped finance the Industrial Revolution in England. Plantation owners, shipbuilders, and merchants connected with the slave trade accumulated vast fortunes that established banks and heavy industry in Europe and expanded the reach of capitalism worldwide.Eric Williams advanced these powerful ideas in Capitalism and Slavery, published in 1944. Years ahead of its time, his profound critique became the foundation for studies of imperialism and economic development. Binding an economic view of history with strong moral argument, Williams's study of the role of slavery in financing the Industrial Revolution refuted traditional ideas of economic and moral progress and firmly established the centrality of the African slave trade in European economic development. He also showed that mature industrial capitalism in turn helped destroy the slave system. Establishing the exploitation of commercial capitalism and its link to racial attitudes, Williams employed a historicist vision that set the tone for future studies. In a new introduction, Colin Palmer assesses the lasting impact of Williams's groundbreaking work and analyzes the heated scholarly debates it generated when it first appeared.
PrefaceIntroduction1The Origin of Negro Slavery32The Development of the Negro Slave Trade303British Commerce and the Triangular Trade514The West India Interest855British Industry and the Triangular Trade986The American Revolution1087The Development of British Capitalism, 1783-18331268The New Industrial Order1359British Capitalism and the West Indies15410"The Commercial Part of the Nation" and Slavery16911The "Saints" and Slavery17812The Slaves and Slavery19713Conclusion209Notes213Bibliography262Index271
