Slavery in the Americas : a survey of the scholarship.

The author overviews the history of slavery in the Americas from the 16th century, surverying prominent scholarship and literature on the topic. The author explores debates surrounding the nature of the contribution of enslaved Africans and their descendants as well as the treatment and conditions of the enslaved, and discusses slave working conditions, women, and family life. Gomez overviews the debate over how the enslaved chose to interpret and lead those aspects of their lives over which they exercised any modicum of control, and the extent of influence of African culture on communities in the Americas. The history of slave revolts and states in Brazil, the Caribbean, and North America is surveyed, as well as other forms of resistance to slavery and the development and eventual successes of the abolitionist movement. Following the essay, a bibliography of recommended reading, a chronology of slavery from 1736 to 1888, and a glossary of terms and historical persons are presented.