Slow Death for Slavery: The Course of Abolition in Northern Nigeria 1897–1936

by Paul E. Lovejoy, Jan S. Hogendorn

This book examines the decline of slavery in Northern Nigeria during the first forty years of colonial rule. At the time of the British conquest, the Sokoto Caliphate was one of the largest slave societies in modern history. Rather than emancipate slaves, the colonial state abolished the legal status of slavery, encouraging them to buy their freedom. Many were unable to do so, and slavery was not finally abolished until l936. The authors have written a provocative book, raising doubts over the moral legitimacy of both the Sokoto Caliphate and the colonial state.

Genres: History, Africa

411 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 1993

About the author

"Paul E. Lovejoy, Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of History at York University, holds the Canada Research Chair in African Diaspora History and is Director of the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African Peoples. He is the author or editor of numerous volumes on the African diaspora." -from Bloomsbury Publishing website