The Castle Slaves of the Gambia River
A Creole Community in the Eighteenth Century Atlantic World
Book •
Michael W. Tuck's book examines the community of castle slaves on James Island (now Kunta Kinteh Island) in the Gambia River during the eighteenth century, using company ledgers, punishment logs, wage lists, and death registers to recover names and lives.
It shows that these enslaved people were skilled workers—carpenters, sailors, soldiers, healers, and more—who formed families, practiced healing, and developed a Creole culture despite harsh conditions.
Tuck emphasises the central role of women as caregivers and cultural anchors and documents high rates of escape and other forms of resistance.
The work reframes Atlantic slavery by focusing on long-term enslaved communities in West Africa rather than only captives awaiting export, highlighting everyday survival, ritual life, and agency.
By treating archival entries as personal traces, the book restores humanity to individuals often reduced to numbers in the records.
It shows that these enslaved people were skilled workers—carpenters, sailors, soldiers, healers, and more—who formed families, practiced healing, and developed a Creole culture despite harsh conditions.
Tuck emphasises the central role of women as caregivers and cultural anchors and documents high rates of escape and other forms of resistance.
The work reframes Atlantic slavery by focusing on long-term enslaved communities in West Africa rather than only captives awaiting export, highlighting everyday survival, ritual life, and agency.
By treating archival entries as personal traces, the book restores humanity to individuals often reduced to numbers in the records.
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Michael W. Tuck, "The Castle Slaves of the Gambia River: A Creole Community in the Eighteenth Century Atlantic World" (Brill, 2026)
