INQ-277 | Slavery and Memory in the British Atlantic

Crosslisted As: HIST277

Topic Description:

Between 1500 and 1866 an estimated 12 million enslaved Africans were captured and transported throughout the Atlantic World. They labored on plantations, in ports, on ships, in homes, taverns, and in countless other venues. Their bondage led to the largest forced migration in human history. This course explores the history of the slave trade, the cultural influences of enslaved people, and the ways in which the public chooses to remember this historical narrative. By defining and framing “memory” as memorials, museums, and monuments, we will examine the diverse ways in which enslavement was experienced, and is depicted to the public throughout the British Atlantic. Students taking Slavery and Memory in the British Atlantic will explore and analyze several museum narratives as well as participate in a stage of narrative building. Students will travel to, tour, and work at multiple sites in Virginia and the Caribbean. This course is hands-on and experiential, and is taught through a combination of lectures, site visits, archaeological excavation and/or a museum exhibit installment.

Course Types Offered: Travel

Topic Approved: April 2014