Slavery, the slave trade and the built environment

This seminar course is offered as a companion to the conference Landscapes of Slavery, Landscapes of Freedom: The African Diaspora and the American Built Environment, scheduled to take place, virtually, in November 2021. The goal of the seminar is to expand on the topic of racial slavery and its effect on the landscape of the Caribbean and North America by examining the historical roots of slavery in the Atlantic world, from the times of the Roman empire to the early modern period and beyond.

Because the study of slavery is addressed by multiple disciplines, this course will unfold through guest speakers’ lectures, in addition to instructor’s talks, that will address landscapes of slavery through a variety of lenses, among them the historical, archaeological/anthropological, the literary, and the environmental. Among the topics of discussion is the transfer of knowledge, in addition to labor, between West Africa, Europe and North America, the economy of the slave trade, agricultural and food production practices supported by slavery, plantation and urban slavery. Through each talk, students will be exposed to a variety of research methods and theoretical approaches that contribute to expand the field of landscape history.

Note: the instructor will offer online live course presentations on 08/26, and/or 08/27. To access the detailed schedule and Zoom links, please visit the Live Course Presentations Website.

Please note this course will meet online through 9/15.