A History of Indigenous Slavery in Ghana

From the 15th to the 19th Century

Academic research and publication on indigenous slavery in Ghana and in Africa more widely have not received attention commensurate with the importance of the phenomenon: the history of indigenous slavery, which existed long before the trans-Atlantic slave trade, has been a marginal topic in documented historical studies on Ghana. Yet its weighty historical, and contemporary relevance inside and outside Africa is undisputed. This book begins to redress this neglect. Drawing on sources including oral data from so-called slave descendants, cultural sites and trade routes, court records and colonial government reports, it presents historical and cultural analysis which aims to enhance historical knowledge and understanding of indigenous slavery. The author further intends to provide a holistic view of the indigenous institution of slavery as a formative factor in the social, political and economic development of pre- colonial Ghana.

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Reviews

"[This is] a subject that continues to fascinate our historical imagination and has great relevance to world and African history… among the distinct insights are the qualitative differences between Ghanaian domestic slavery and New World slavery and other slave systems, placing the study in a very significant comparative mode. The author succeeds in producing a text that is very good reading for undergraduates and all interested persons.": Multicultural Review