First published 1985
Orlando Patterson undertakes the first comprehensive comparative analysis of slavery as a global institution. He examines sixty-six different societies spanning from ancient Greece and Rome through medieval Europe, China, Korea, Islamic kingdoms, Africa, the Caribbean, and the American South. Patterson argues that slavery constitutes a parasitic relationship involving the violent domination of individuals who become "socially dead" through natal alienation from their origins. He rejects the traditional Roman legal framework that defines slaves primarily as property. Instead, Patterson emphasizes the sociological, symbolic, and ideological dimensions that shape master-slave relationships across cultures. His framework encompasses the complete slavery process from initial recruitment through marginal incorporation into society and eventual manumission or death. The study reveals universal structures while documenting cross-cultural variations in slave trade practices, manumission rates, and freedmen status. Patterson demonstrates how his approach can explain diverse phenomena from elite slaves and eunuchs to field laborers within a unified theoretical framework.
Genres: history, social-science, african-american, anthropology, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction
Setting: Africa, America, Caribbean, China, Europe, Greece, Islamic Kingdoms, Korea, Rome
Period: Ancient, Medieval, Modern
511 pages · Paperback · Harvard University Press
Content warnings: slavery