The numbers game and the profitability of the British trade in slaves.

More than a century after its termination the slave trade in Africa remains a controversial topic. In particular, disputes continue to wax strong over the profitability of the Atlantic slave trade, on three major dimensions: the degree of competition characteristic of the market in slaves; the typical magnitude of the rate of profit achieved by enterprises engaged in the industry; the status of Eric Williams's hypothesis on the contribution of the slave trade to European industrialization.-from Author

Duke Scholars

Author William A. Darity Jr. Sanford School of Public Policy