Capitalism and Slavery

Eric Williams’s landmark study repositions transatlantic slavery at the centre of Britain’s economic development. It traces the rise and fall of the Atlantic slave trade through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and connects it to capitalism, racism, and the Industrial Revolution.

Readers interested in the history of empire, economics, and race will find a sharp, influential argument that challenges familiar accounts of emancipation. The result is a classic work that continues to shape debate around slavery and modern capitalism.