Agency of the Enslaved

Jamaica and the Culture of Freedom in the Atlantic World

Nonfiction, History, Americas, Caribbean & West Indies, Modern, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book Agency of the Enslaved by D.A. Dunkley, Lexington Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: D.A. Dunkley ISBN: 9780739168042
Publisher: Lexington Books Publication: December 21, 2012
Imprint: Lexington Books Language: English
Author: D.A. Dunkley
ISBN: 9780739168042
Publisher: Lexington Books
Publication: December 21, 2012
Imprint: Lexington Books
Language: English

In Agency of the Enslaved: Jamaica and the Culture of Freedom in the Atlantic World, D.A. Dunkley challenges the notion that enslavement fostered the culture of freedom in the former colonies of Western Europe in the Americas. Dunkley argues the point that the preconception that out of slavery came freedom has discouraged scholars from fully exploring the importance of the agency displayed by enslaved people. This study examines those struggles and argues that these formed the real basis of the culture of freedom in the Atlantic societies. These struggles were not for freedom, but for the acknowledgment of the freedom that enslaved people knew was already theirs. Agency of the Enslaved reveals several major incidents in which the enslaved in Jamaica—a country Dunkley uses as a case study with wider applicability to the Atlantic world—demonstrated that they viewed slavery as an immoral, illegal, unnecessary, temporary, and socially deprecating imposition. These views inspired their attempts to undermine the slave system that the British had established in Jamaica shortly after they captured the island in 1655. Acts of resistance took place throughout the island-colony and were recorded on the sugar plantations and in the courts, schools, and Christian churches. The slaveholders envisaged all of these sites as participants in their attempts to dominate the enslaved people. Regardless, the enslaved had re-envisioned and had used these places as sites of empowerment, and to show that they would never accept the designation of ‘slave.'

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In Agency of the Enslaved: Jamaica and the Culture of Freedom in the Atlantic World, D.A. Dunkley challenges the notion that enslavement fostered the culture of freedom in the former colonies of Western Europe in the Americas. Dunkley argues the point that the preconception that out of slavery came freedom has discouraged scholars from fully exploring the importance of the agency displayed by enslaved people. This study examines those struggles and argues that these formed the real basis of the culture of freedom in the Atlantic societies. These struggles were not for freedom, but for the acknowledgment of the freedom that enslaved people knew was already theirs. Agency of the Enslaved reveals several major incidents in which the enslaved in Jamaica—a country Dunkley uses as a case study with wider applicability to the Atlantic world—demonstrated that they viewed slavery as an immoral, illegal, unnecessary, temporary, and socially deprecating imposition. These views inspired their attempts to undermine the slave system that the British had established in Jamaica shortly after they captured the island in 1655. Acts of resistance took place throughout the island-colony and were recorded on the sugar plantations and in the courts, schools, and Christian churches. The slaveholders envisaged all of these sites as participants in their attempts to dominate the enslaved people. Regardless, the enslaved had re-envisioned and had used these places as sites of empowerment, and to show that they would never accept the designation of ‘slave.'

More books from Lexington Books

Cover of the book Sensing Sacred by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Gerald Ford and the Separation of Powers by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Jan Hus between Time and Eternity by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Television and the Self by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Higher Education and Equality of Opportunity by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Beyond Monopoly by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Democratization through Migration? by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book The Challenges of Transfrontier Conservation in Southern Africa by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Re-imagining Development Communication in Africa by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book The Evolution and Social Impact of Video Game Economics by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Fear, Power, and Politics by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Dialectics of the Goddess in Japanese Audiovisual Culture by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book The Legacy of the Cold War by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Teacher Education, Diversity, and Community Engagement in Liberal Arts Colleges by D.A. Dunkley
Cover of the book Euripides and the Boundaries of the Human by D.A. Dunkley
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy