Slavery and Capitalism
Instructions
This should be a very straightforward paper.
1) Who was Williams and what did he believe about Capitalism and Slavery?
2) What do historians think about Williams and his arguments today?
3a) What are the holes in Williams’ argument? [Did Williams fully understand capitalism? Did he problematize slavery over time and geographically?]
3b) Are historians today falling into the same trap as Williams?
1) Eric William’s classic work, “Capitalism and Slavery” has had an unusually long influence. To what extent the recent interpretations of slavery and capitalism appear to have drawn from Williams’ work? To what extent do they diverge from it? Be sure to cite specific works.
– In addition to the ten pages, your essay should include endnotes for each page bibliography.
– The essay should be synthetic, demonstrating mastery of the material attached, and analytic. General statements should be supported by specific examples from the attached readings.
– The essay will be grounded in historiography and historical methodology.
Sources:
1- Eric Williams, Capitalism and Slavery
2- Beckert and Rockman, Slave1y ‘s Capitalism
3- Follett et. al., The Plantation Kingdom
4- Walter Johnson, River of Dark Dreams
5- Calvin Schermerhorn, TJ1e Business of Slavery
6- Ed Baptist, The Half has Never Been Told
7- Sven Beckert, Empire of Cotton