ABSTRACT

The African Link, first published in 1978, breaks new ground in the studies of pre-19th century racial prejudice by emphasizing the importance of the West African end of the slave trade. For the British, the important African link was the commercial one which brought slave traders into contact with the peoples of West Africa. Far from remaining covert, their experiences were reflected in a vast array of scholarly, educational, popular and polemical writing. The picture of Black Africa that emerges from these writings is scarcely favourable – yet through the hostility of traders and moralising editors appear glimpses of respect and admiration for African humanity, skills and artefacts. The crudest generalisations about Black Africa are revealed as the inventions of credulous medieval geographers and of the late 18th century pro-slavery lobby. The author combines the more matter-of-fact reports of the intervening centuries with analysis of 17th and 18th century social and scientific theories to fill a considerable gap in the history of racial attitudes.

part I|38 pages

Public Awareness of the Negro in the Era of the Slave Trade

chapter Chapter One|12 pages

The Historical Background

chapter Chapter Two|24 pages

The Makers of the Negro Image

part II|36 pages

Attitudes Before 1780: Sub-Humanity and Inhumanity

chapter Chapter Three|18 pages

Edward Long and the Theory of Negro Inferiority

chapter Chapter Four|16 pages

The Burden of Slavery

part III|80 pages

Attitudes Before 1780: African Savagery in Theory and Practice

chapter Chapter Five|23 pages

Intellectual Perspectives

chapter Chapter Six|20 pages

The Cultural Inferiority of West Africa

chapter Chapter Seven|22 pages

The Sinister Side of West African Life

chapter Chapter Eight|13 pages

Anarchy and Despotism

part IV|46 pages

Racial Attitudes in an Era of Controversy: 1780-1807

chapter Chapter Nine|22 pages

The Chains of Slavery and the Chain of Being

chapter Chapter Ten|15 pages

Old and New Images of Africa

chapter |7 pages

Conclusion