Slavery and Resistance in Jamaican History

On Saturday 4th December (11.00-18.00) at the Eccles Centre, the British Library there was a day of practical talks and workshops from leading historians of 18th-century Jamaica. 18th-century Jamaica has been the subject of intense historical interest in recent years, as important or overlooked documents have been rediscovered, and new ways of approaching histories of slavery, resistance and freedom have been developed. This day of talks and workshops from leading writers on the period will offer practical insights on how to get started in early modern Jamaican history, and how to get the most out of the British Library's collection.

Topics and speakers were:

• Sources for the study of Jamaican history at the British Library and beyond. Philip Abraham and Nicole-Rachelle Moore, The British Library
• Enslavers and the plantation system. Catherine Hall, Keith McClelland and Rachel Lang, UCL’s Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery
• Resisting slavery: Maroon histories. Nadine Chambers, Birkbeck, University of London, and Miles Ogborn, Queen Mary University of London
• Jamaicans in Britain. S.I. Martin, Independent researcher

For a very useful guide to digital resources at the British Library on the 17th, 18th and 19th century Caribbean see the blog by Imaobong Umoren:

Digital resources at the BL.

Collections include, for example, Slavery in Jamaica, Records from a Family of Slave Owners, 1686-1860.

In order to use the resources you will need a reader’s ticket: for how to obtain one go to: Get a reader's ticket.

Other useful links are:

Eccles Centre for American Studies.

Collections on Americas and Oceania.

Eccles Centre on twitter.

British Library Americas Collections on twitter.

Eccles Centre email