American Slavers: Merchants, Mariners, and the Transatlantic Commerce in Captives, 1644-1865.

"American Slavers: Merchants, Mariners, and the Transatlantic Commerce in Captives, 1644-1865" by Sean M. Kelley explores the often overlooked role of Americans in the transatlantic slave trade. Kelley argues that while Americans may not have been the primary builders or owners of slave ships, they played crucial roles in the passage of over two thousand ships that transported more than three hundred thousand Africans to the Western Hemisphere. The book traces the development of American involvement in the slave trade from its early, irregular and small-scale beginnings in the 17th century to its expansion in the 18th century, particularly in Rhode Island. Kelley also examines the ambivalence and fluctuations in American involvement in the trade after the American Revolution, as well as the illegal trade that continued until the 1860s. The book highlights the significant impact of American slavers on the social and economic development of West Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States. [Extracted from the article]