The middle of the 19th century — between the abolition of slavery in much of the British Empire and the end of slavery in the United States — is often seen as an age of emancipation. But historian Zach Sell argues that it would be better known as an age of capitalist crisis, upheaval, and warfare. He illustrates how the growth of the British Empire fueled the expansion of slavery in the United States — and how capitalism is rooted in unfreedom.
Resources:
Zach Sell, Trouble of the World: Slavery and Empire in the Age of Capital University of North Carolina Press, 2021