31 pages 1 hour read

Stephanie E. Smallwood

Saltwater Slavery: A Middle Passage from Africa to American Diaspora

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2007

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Index of Terms

Commodification

Commodification is the transformation of humans into goods to be used for trade or purchase. 

Gold Coast

The Gold Coast references the area that is now present-day Ghana. It was previously divided into several states controlled by several ethnic groups. The first European explorers to reach it were the Portuguese, who claimed it for their gold mines. 

Royal African Company

The Royal African Company (RAC) was an English mercantile company set up by the royal Stuart family that engaged in the slave trade. Smallwood uses documentation generated by the Royal African Company as references for her book.