Gender, Slavery, and Freedom

Will examine how gender shaped slavery in the Americas. How did the experiences of enslaved men and women differ? Did the experiences of enslaved women result in specific practices that formed the basis for resistance to slavery and dehumanization? How did gendered experiences of slavery in turn affect the notions of freedom that were developed in post- emancipation societies? We will also consider how practices or ideas developed during slavery have contributed to the “afterlife” of slavery after official emancipation. We will analyze slavery as a concrete set of practices that were experienced and negotiated differently by enslaved men and women.