Debating the Slave Trade

'Employing a careful rhetorical approach to a substantial archive of antislavery and proslavery writings, Debating the Slave Trade offers a thoughtful analysis of the relation between the language of reform and the often fraught issue of British national identity in the late eighteenth century. What makes this book unique is the scholarly attention it pays to the printed texts on both sides of the slavery debate; it effectively and sometimes elegantly brings antislavery and proslavery writings into cultural conversation with one another, a conversation constantly reformulating not only the questions of humanity and liberty but also the terms of civilized, British identity during an age of imperial expansion and revolutionary violence.' Philip Gould, Brown University, USA '... we now have a much clearer sense of how eighteenth-century slave-trade debates evolved over time, just as we have a clearer sense of how they impinged on questions of national identity. Written in a clear and accessible style and nicely produced by Ashgate, this is a book that deserves a wide readership.' Journal of British Studies 'Swaminathan's Debating the Slave Trade is a valuable contribution to the literature and should be read by scholars of the slavery debates from whichever fields they walk.' Literature and History 'This monograph makes important contributions to the history of slavery and abolition, the study of British national identity, and our understanding of the development of imperial ideology. It provides a powerfully argued, theoretically sophisticated, and nuanced discussion, making it essential reading for scholars and postgraduate students. ... this is an ambition and fascinating research monograph.' American Historical Review 'Swaminathathan's intelligent and nuanced study is an important historical backdrop to our contemporary debates over these Christian foundations of British nationhood.' Churchman