Econocide: British Slavery in the Era of Abolition

In this classic analysis and refutation of Eric Williams's 1944 thesis, Seymour Drescher argues that Britain's abolition of the slave trade in 1807 resulted not from the diminishing value of slavery for Great Britain but instead from the British public's mobilization against the slave trade, which forced London to commit what Drescher terms econocide. This action, he argues, was detrimental to Britain's economic interests at a time when British slavery was actually at the height of its potential.

Originally published in 1977, Drescher's work was instrumental in undermining the economic determinist interpretation of abolitionism that had dominated historical discourse for decades following World War II. For this second edition, which includes a foreword by David Brion Davis, Drescher has written a new preface, reflecting on the historiography of the British slave trade since this book's original publication.

Author: Seymour Drescher
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Published: 08/30/2010
Pages: 312
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 8.96h x 6.06w x 0.74d
ISBN: 9780807871799

About the Author
Drescher, Seymour: - Seymour Drescher is Distinguished University Professor of history and sociology at the University of Pittsburgh.