ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The national representations of slavery have often sought to minimize collective responsibility for enslavement, while emphasizing contributions to abolitionism. The way in which slavery and its legacies have found expression in the commemorative contexts of museums, memorials and other sites of memory, as well as in national education systems. The introduction analyzes a number of recurring patterns that have had an enduring impact on both public representations and collective understandings of slavery and its legacies. These recurring patterns link together both historical and contemporary settings, and can be chiefly understood in terms of an enduring relationship between slavery and collective identity. Finally, the elusive economic legacies of slavery for the contribution of slave labour to the construction of institutions across Europe and North America are also coming under increasing scrutiny.
