Entanglements of Coerced Labor and Colonial Science in the Atlantic World and Beyond.

This article examines the relationship between coerced labor and scientific knowledge production in the context of colonialism. It discusses how sites of coerced labor, such as plantations and colonial spaces, were also spaces where knowledge was produced. The article explores the connections between forced and free itineraries and highlights the role of mobility in facilitating scientific endeavors and the expansion of medical practices. However, it also acknowledges that this mobility reinforced coercive labor regimes and contributed to the crafting of racist claims about health and bodily differences. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical production of racial difference and calls for labor historians to contribute to the study of these dynamics. Additionally, the article focuses on the intersection of coerced labor and colonial science during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, particularly in contexts such as plantations and mining operations. It challenges the traditional separation between scientists and laborers by highlighting the contributions of marginalized laborers, including enslaved, indentured, and convict workers, to scientific endeavors. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to uncover the hidden histories of scientific labor and to give voice to the perspectives of marginalized laborers. [Extracted from the article]