Capitalism and Slavery

Eric Williams’s landmark study examines the relationship between transatlantic slavery, British economic development, and the rise of modern capitalism. It follows the Atlantic slave trade through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and presents a historically influential argument about empire, race, and the Industrial Revolution.

The book is widely discussed for its challenge to conventional accounts of emancipation and its lasting impact on debates about slavery and capitalism. It remains a significant work for readers interested in economic history, empire, and the history of race.