I vote for Captives as Commodities for our final book. At the beginning of the semester when we began trying to define commodities, we threw out some ideas. I mentions "slaves" and I think my suggestion was met with disdain. I agree that slavery is a "false commodity" because people are not objects. But clearly kidnapped Africans were treated as a commodity in the Atlantic slave trade. There was a commodity chain of traders, exporters, merchants, sellers, buyers, and consumers (think about that word). Slavery, and it's legacy, is at the heart of so many of our stories. It would broaden our understanding of Mintz, Norton, and my nominated book on coffee.
I like that the focus of our course has been on Latin America. I think it keeps the "history" in the course and stops it from becoming too focused on economics (oh no!). Carol's suggestion is a good one, especially for students who have not studied the region. I also liked the idea of reading about rum. It would pull in the problem of slavery and provide a link to sugar. All are Caribbean-Latin American goods that would keep the focus I have so enjoyed.
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