was a seminal and pathbreaking study published in 1944 by the Trinidadian historian and politician Eric Williams (1911-1981). It powerfully elucidated some fundamental truths about the development of capitalism – with a particular focus on British capitalism – and the connection of this new world system to the Atlantic slave trade and the enslavement of workers, particularly in the Caribbean. The work provided detailed records of those British capitalists – not only sugar refiners and cotton manufacturers, but also a wide range of others like ship builders and gun-makers – and British institutions made huge profits from slavery. Williams accumulated a mass of details about the fortunes accrued in the City of London and how port cities like Bristol,…
2376 words
Citation: Høgsbjerg, Christian. "Capitalism and Slavery". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 June 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41489, accessed 21 November 2024.]
