≡ [PDF] The Diligent A Voyage Through the Worlds Of The Slave Trade Robert Harms 9780465028726 Books

The Diligent A Voyage Through the Worlds Of The Slave Trade Robert Harms 9780465028726 Books

Download As PDF : The Diligent A Voyage Through the Worlds Of The Slave Trade Robert Harms 9780465028726 Books

The Diligent A Voyage Through the Worlds Of The Slave Trade Robert Harms 9780465028726 Books

My daughter ordered this for her college class. I picked it up after she brought it home in the summer. It is a wonderful retelling of the slave trade from the deck up, including discussion of French slave-versus-free laws and the business risks. Shows how well we can compartmentalize our morals when needed for economic gain.


Tags : The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds Of The Slave Trade [Robert Harms] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div>The Diligent began her journey in Brittany in 1731, and Harms follows her along the African coast where her goods were traded for slaves,Robert Harms,The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds Of The Slave Trade,Basic Books,0465028721,World,Diligent (Ship),Slave trade - Africa, West - History - 18th century,Slave trade - France - History - 18th century,GENERAL,General Adult,HISTORY General,HISTORY World,History,History - General History,HistoryWorld,History: World,Non-Fiction,SOCIAL SCIENCE Slavery,Slavery,Social & cultural history,Social ScienceSlavery,World history,HIS037000,SOC054000

The Diligent A Voyage Through the Worlds Of The Slave Trade Robert Harms 9780465028726 Books Reviews

The Individual who has read AFRICA AND AFRICANS IN THE MAKING OF THE ATLANTIC WORLD, 1400-1800 by John Thornton & THE SLAVE TRADE The Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440-1870 by Hugh Thomas will likely find THE DILIGENT A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade to be a welcome addition to their reading material while the individual for whom this is a introduction to the subject will likely find the work both stimulating and informative.
Nominally, THE DILIGENT is a history of the 1731 -32 journey of the slave ship THE DILIGENT from the Ile aux Moines near the port of Vannes, in Brittany, France to the Guinea Coast, then to Martinique and back to Vannes. It is, however, much more than that. The reader is treated to a rather informative economic and social history (especially as it relates to the slave trade) of France at the beginning of the 18th century, including the "reforms" of John Law. It is also a brief history of the involvement of the European powers with the native peoples of the Gold Coast, a much more detailed history of Whydah and Dahomey (for the slightly gory origin of the name see Harold Courlander's A TREASURY OF AFRICAN FOLKLORE) and the effects of the slave traders on those States, a brief history of the status and struggles of free blacks under mulatto control in Principe and Sao Tome (focusing on the life of the black Archdeacon Pinto during this period), a study of daily life for both crew and human cargo on a slave ship - especially during the arduous Middle Passage, and a brief look at the struggles and dangers facing slaves and, to a lesser degree, coca and coffee growers in Martinique. The work finishes off by examining the questionable benefits of the various parties (including the financiers, suppliers and the officers of the ship) from the slaving voyage.
This is an excellent work (aside from a couple editing errors which aren't worth mentioning but, going by reviews written elsewhere, may be greatly exaggerated by some future detractor of the work) and should be read by any serious student of slave trade.
Don't be put off by the fact that this book is written by a professor from Yale University; it is a very readable and approachable book.

It's also the unvarnished truth about this rather unpleasant subject. While the author did extensive research from many sources -- as you would expect from a respected historian and Yale professor -- the author's core source is the personal diary of an officer on The Diligent, a slave trading ship, who aspired to become a captain himself. This aspiring officer kept these notes for himself, basically a practical how-to manual for running a slave-trading ship.

The whole truth about how the slave trade actually worked is A) not pretty, B) complex, and C) different from how it is often taught and explained.

The whole truth about how the slave trade actually worked is complex; it's not something that can be told in a sound-bite. It's not as simple as, "the evil white Europeans with their guns enslaved the poor, innocent, helpless black Africans and hauled them to rich plantations to pick cotton."

The truth about the slave trade also doesn't fit well into anyone's current-day political, blame-setting agenda. It's messy and unclear. There's blame for everyone, blood on everyones' hands. Regardless of what you think about the slave trade, this book will challenge you, so be prepared for that.

But what the story of The Diligent is is the truth about how the slave trade worked.

If you'd like to cut through the politically-charged rhetoric -- and if you have the intestinal fortitude for it -- this book will take you to the times and places and show you that unvarnished truth.
This is certainly a worthwhile read, however, the edition is flawed due to a hard-to-read, seemingly damaged font. The printed letters seem to be missing bits and pieces. While the words are identifiable, the reading experience is much more strenuous than it should be.

This is really just a technical problem, and /the publisher should really fix it.
perfect thank you
This is a most interesting book. It is edited from the journal of a ship's officer on his first slaving tour. This narrative indicates that the traders were at great pains to keep their cargo healthy and relatively happy! A healthy slave would, not surprisingly, fetch a higher price at the dock in the Americas. This account turns most of the "Middle Passage" stories upside down.
An essential read, I should say.
Hard read for a descendent of African captives. This book provides insight into the inhumane nature of the society/people/world that allowed this to happen.
My daughter ordered this for her college class. I picked it up after she brought it home in the summer. It is a wonderful retelling of the slave trade from the deck up, including discussion of French slave-versus-free laws and the business risks. Shows how well we can compartmentalize our morals when needed for economic gain.