Course Synopsis:
This course compares two streams of transatlantic, transcontinental, labor migrations. The first is the forced migration of Africans to Europe’s American colonies, specifically, the Caribbean Islands, up to the 19th–century abolition of the slave trade. The second is the indentured (contract) labor migration of Indians following the abolition of the slave trade, again, to the Caribbean Isles. The course will explore the nature of the migrations, the experiences of the migrants and the general character of the contacts between the sending and the receiving populations. We will also look at the causes the cessation of these forms of transoceanic and transcontinental labor mobilization, movement and utilization. European migration across the Atlantic is NOT in focus in this course.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, student will have learned to:
- assess the local and global forces involved in the creation, distribution, maintenance and eradication of these labor types.
- apply the comparative historical method to elucidate concepts and explicate historical moments and forces relevant to the creation of the African and Indian diasporas in the Atlantic world.
- appreciate the different perspectives that inform interpretation of historical texts and evidence regarding the use of slave and indentured labor.
- practice critical reading, critical thinking, and critical analysis.
Method of Evaluation and Weights:
60% Weekly review of & comment on assigned readings, lectures
15% Midterm exam
25% Essay
Texts Required:
Students will be supplied with links to all the reading materials required for this course.
Please note: This is a preliminary website description only. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.
