Subproject of Louise Ruby about Empathy
Subproject of Louise Ruby about Empathy

Circulating representations of slavery

How 18th-century readers accessed books about and by the enslaved
Duration
1 September 2023 until 31 August 2028
Project member(s)
L.M. Ruby (Louise)
Project type
Research

How did European readers gain access to information on transatlantic slavery? Since the beginning of the triangular trade, the legitimacy of slavery was discussed in theological, juridical, and philosophical printed sources. As the debate intensified throughout the 18th century, literary production was also evolving, facilitating wider access to information. Genres like travel accounts gained great popularity and crossed borders with ease. John Gabriel Stedman’s Narrative for example, which depicted the brutal treatment of the enslaved in Surinam, was published in no fewer than six languages. Meanwhile, the development of the novel participated in shaping the image of the enslaved in fiction, whereas the press reprinted extracts, offered reviews, or encouraged the purchase of the books. This diversity of sources flourished alongside the rise of abolitionist political ideas by authors such as Frossard and Clarkson, whose works were also translated into multiple languages.

Even though the characteristics of the book market during the 18th century seem to have been favorable to the spread of texts touching on slavery, the scope and the effects of their circulation across Europe is still poorly understood. Therefore, this project aims to clarify both the itineraries of the books - from the process of their publication until they reached the hands of individual  readers - and the role these objects played in shaping public opinion about slavery. Such works often succeed in generating empathy for the enslaved among today’s readers, but by whom and how were they read when they were first issued? To answer these questions, this study draws on an arsenal of methodological tools available to book historians, ranging from material bibliography to the statistical analysis of the data available on the production and reception of the corpus.