British West Indian Slavery, 1750-1834: The Process of Amelioration

by J. R. Ward (2), Ward

Overview

The first account of Caribbean slavery to draw from the plantation records of several different sugar colonies, this book examines the attempts made by British West Indian planters to improve the treatment of their slaves, partly in response to the anti-slavery movement. Ward argues that although the measures taken did raise the standard of living and productive efficiency of plantation slaves, "amelioration" contained serious weaknesses that made it ultimately ineffective as a means of defending the institution of slavery. Though focused on the British West Indies, the book's main theme—the potential for reform and economic development in slave-based societies—will hold wider significance for a variety of economic and social historians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198201441
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/15/1988
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.81(h) x 0.97(d)

About the Author

University of Edinburgh

Table of Contents

	Figures	viii
	Tables	ix
	Abbreviation And Note On Currencies	xi
1.	Introduction	1
2.	Establishing the Monoculture	8
3.	The Planters in Adversity, 1763-1834	38
4.	New Husbandry	61
5.	Demographic Results	119
6.	A Balance Sheet of Amelioration	190
7.	The Aftermath of Slavery	233
8.	Conclusion	261
Appendix	Slave Listings	280
	Endnotes	282
	Bibliography	289
	Index	311

Editorial Reviews

"Based on an exhaustive survey of the islands' plantation recorfds, this fact-filled statistical summary...[is] the best modern description of the Caribbean sugar industry in the era of slave production in print."—CHOICE

"An important work....It contains much new information, discusses useful questions, and provides interesting analysis of important issues. It will be most useful to all concerned with the study of slave societies and their impact upon both the slaves and the masters."—Journal of Economic History

From the Publisher