Freedom's Debtors
Book description
A history of the abolition of the British slave trade in Sierra Leone and how the British used its success to justify colonialism in Africa
British anti-slavery, widely seen as a great sacrifice of economic and political capital on the altar of humanitarianism, was in fact profitable, militarily useful, and…
Why read it?
1 author picked Freedom's Debtors as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I was particularly fascinated with this book because I lived in Sierra Leone for several years, and part of the book I wrote takes place there. But I think that anyone who is interested in the history of colonialism, West Africa, and/or modern capitalism and the ongoing effects of that history will find it interesting.
Sierra Leone is unique in that it was conceived of as a place for freed slaves; the British have long championed this as an example of one of their “good” colonial projects. Scanlan details how this “humanitarianism” entailed reformulating a population, particularly people’s ideas about…
From Mara's list on understand our unequal world.
Want books like Freedom's Debtors?
Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Freedom's Debtors.
Browse books like Freedom's Debtors
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in Sierra Leone, slaves, and colonies?
11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Sierra Leone, slaves, and colonies.