Capitalism & Slavery

In this seminal work, Eric Williams contends that slavery played a crucial role in the rise of capitalism and the British Empire.

He argues that the wealth generated from the slave trade and slavery fueled British industrial development, and that racism was a consequence of slavery rather than its cause.

The book refutes traditional ideas of economic and moral progress, emphasizing the economic motivations behind the abolition of slavery and highlighting the agency of the enslaved in their own liberation.

Williams's study is based on extensive historical research, including parliamentary debates, merchants’ papers, and abolitionist documents, and has had a profound impact on the scholarship of slavery and capitalism.