Davis, David Brion

Links the profits of slavery, the pain of the enslaved, and the legacy of racism in a history of the institution of slavery in the United States.

Examines slavery from ancient times to the era of exploration, the African slave trade, the American Revolution and eventual decline of slavery in the North, and the legitimizing of slavery in the South and explores attempts to colonize slaves outside the United States.

Draws from primary source documents, including letters, diary entries, narratives, speeches, and newspaper articles, to present a history of America from the voyages of Columbus through the Civil War.