From 1400 to 1900 the Atlantic Ocean served as a major highway, allowing people and goods to move easily between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. These interactions and exchanges transformed European, African, and American societies and led to the creation of new peoples, cultures, economies, and ideas throughout the Atlantic arena. The Atlantic World provides a comprehensive and lucid history of one of the most important and impactful cross-cultural encounters in human history. Empires, economies, and trade in the Atlantic world thrived due to the European drive to expand as well as the creative ways in which the peoples living along the Atlantic's borders adapted to that drive. This comprehensive, cohesively written textbook offers a balanced view of the activity in the Atlantic world. The 40 maps, 60 illustrations, and multiple excerpts from primary documents bring the history to life. Each chapter offers a reading list for those interested in a more in-depth look at the period.
Part I. The Oceans Shall Unloose the Bonds of Things: 1. Antecedents: the Americas, Africa and Europe in the fifteenth century; 2. Commencement: the European opening of the Atlantic ocean; 3. Conquests: forging the Iberian empires in Africa and the Americas; 4. Realms: the overseas empires of Spain and Portugal; Part II. Europe Supported by Africa and America: 5. Incursions: French, English and Dutch invasions of the Iberian Atlantic; 6. Engagement: the entangled worlds of Indians and Europeans; 7. Uprooted: West Africa, the Americas, and the Atlantic slave trade; 8. Bondage: the Atlantic plantation complex and the cultures of slaves; 9. Partners: women and men in the making of the Atlantic world; Part III. A New Order of the Ages: 10. Rivals: Britain and France in the long eighteenth century; 11. Liberty: the Atlantic world in the age of revolution; 12. Equality: the Atlantic world in the age of revolution; 13. Freedom: the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade and new world slavery.
