Forced Migration: The Impact of the Export Slave Trade on African Societies

Forced Migration, first published in 1982, examines the impact of the slave trade on Africa. There has been much debate over recent years about the effect of the Atlantic slave trade on Africa, with some authorities claiming that there were huge figures involved, and that these set back Africa’s development for many years. Other historians reach lower estimates of the figures involved in the Atlantic trade, and hence argue that the effects on the political economy of Africa were more limited. Had widespread slavery existed long before the growth of the European slave trade? How important was the trans-Saharan traffic? Dr Inikori is the most authoritative voice in Africa to take part in this controversial international debate. He has done much original research into records, and here has made and introduced a selection of key papers. He has added elucidating editorial comments that place each paper in its context and link it to the other contributions.