The Indian Slave Trade: The Rise of the English Empire in the American South, 1670?1717 - Softcover

"The book is essential reading for scholars of early American and Native American history... Gallay's work is an important and exciting contribution to the field." History: Reviews of New Books "Powerfully argued... Gallay's stunning and engrossing work seems to spur a renewed debate on the origins and meaning of racial slavery." Choice "A majestic volume that will reshape our understanding of the geopolitics and economy of the colonial South. This engaging transnational story deserves the attention of colonial and southern historians." Andrew K. Frank, Georgia Historical Quarterly

This absorbing book is the first ever to focus on the traffic in Indian slaves during the early years of the American South. The Indian slave trade was of central importance from the Carolina coast to the Mississippi Valley for nearly fifty years, linking southern lives and creating a whirlwind of violence and profit-making, argues Alan Gallay. He documents in vivid detail how the trade operated, the processes by which Europeans and Native Americans became participants, and the profound consequences for the South and its peoples. The author places Native Americans at the center of the story of European colonization and the evolution of plantation slavery in America. He explores the impact of such contemporary forces as the African slave trade, the unification of England and Scotland, and the competition among European empires as well as political and religious divisions in England and in South Carolina. Gallay also analyzes how Native American societies approached warfare, diplomacy, and decisions about allying and trading with Europeans. His wide-ranging research not only illuminates a crucial crossroad of European and Native American history but also establishes a new context for understanding racism, colonialism, and the meaning of ethnicity in early America.