The Costs of Coercion: African Agency in the Pre-Modern Atlantic World

• Published in: The Economic history review 2001-08, Vol.54 (3), p.454-476
• Main Authors: Behrendt, Stephen D., Eltis, David, Richardson, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Africa - ethnology; African Continental Ancestry Group - education; African Continental Ancestry Group - ethnology; African Continental Ancestry Group - history; African Continental Ancestry Group - legislation & jurisprudence; African Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; African Cultural Groups; Atlantic Ocean; Atlantic slave trade; Black history; Blacks; Coercion; Commerce - economics; Commerce - education; Commerce - history; Commerce - legislation & jurisprudence; Economic history; Effects; Ethnic Groups - education; Ethnic Groups - ethnology; Ethnic Groups - history; Ethnic Groups - legislation & jurisprudence; Ethnic Groups - psychology; European Continental Ancestry Group - education; European Continental Ancestry Group - ethnology; European Continental Ancestry Group - history; European Continental Ancestry Group - legislation & jurisprudence; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; History of medicine; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; Homicide - economics; Homicide - ethnology; Homicide - history; Homicide - legislation & jurisprudence; Homicide - psychology; Humans; Internationality - history; Internationality - legislation & jurisprudence; Labor costs; Minority Groups - education; Minority Groups - history; Minority Groups - legislation & jurisprudence; Minority Groups - psychology; Minority Health - economics; Minority Health - ethnology; Minority Health - history; Minority Health - legislation & jurisprudence; Mortality - ethnology; Mortality - history; Plantations; Race Relations - history; Race Relations - legislation & jurisprudence; Race Relations - psychology; Rebellion; Rebellions; Resistance; Ships; Ships - economics; Ships - history; Ships - legislation & jurisprudence; Slave revolts; Slave ships; Slave trade; Slavery; Slaves; Social Welfare - economics; Social Welfare - ethnology; Social Welfare - history; Social Welfare - legislation & jurisprudence; Social Welfare - psychology; Socioeconomic Factors; Violence; Violence - economics; Violence - ethnology; Violence - history; Violence - legislation & jurisprudence; Violence - psychology
• ISSN: 0013-0117; 1468-0289
• DOI: 10.1111/1468-0289.00199

Violent resistance by Africans forced on board slave ships in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans has received less attention than plantation-based resistance. Evidence now suggests that, notwithstanding measures taken by shippers to prevent them, rebellions by enslaved Africans occurred on perhaps 10 per cent of slave ships. The same evidence also reveals striking variations in rebelliousness by place of embarkation of slaves in Africa. The article seeks to measure the impact of resistance on the overall numbers and distribution of Africans forcibly shipped across the Atlantic.