Reconstructing the Black Past

by Norma Myers

This book examines the character and composition of the black population of Britain between 1780 and 1830, previous studies of which have been hampered by a lack of demographic evidence. Drawing heavily from data collected from parish registers, contemporary newspapers and journals, parliamentary papers and the records of merchants involved in the slave trade, the author ventures beyond existing research to examine the age structure and sex ratios of the black population; family marriage patterns; and the occupations of black men and women.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

174 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly a lot of this book could be summed up as 'we don't really know' told in different ways. It has some interesting extrapolations from the available data but the primary evidence is so scarce and so open to a variety of interpretations I don't feel any more certain about the answers I was looking for before starting it, even if I am more informed about why I won't get those answers. That might signal a higher degree of knowledge about the uncertainties but given how little it could provide on the big questions extending its scope and providing more on some of the individuals briefly mentioned in passing would have been a really welcome addition.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that the book was too limited in its scope and too few pages.

[Katherine Cowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most books and films set in the Regency era depict an entirely white cast of characters, yet this is not an accurate representation of the time period. While there are still great debates among scholars about defining the actual number of blacks living in both London and England as a whole during this time period, records indicate a good-sized population.

There were both enslaved and free blacks; of those who were free, many were servants, sailors, tailors, and musicians. There were black beggars and boxers, grocers, innkeepers, and cabinet-makers. While a majority of the black population were poor, there were also members of the middle-class.

This was a fascinating book with a lofty task, due to the dearth of primary sources. It's written in a very scholarly, academic manner, not with a lay reader in mind, and it was challenging to read more than a few pages at a time. The following are the subjects of each chapter:

1. The Historiography of Black People in Britain circa 1780-1830
2. The Black Numbers Conundrum: A Step Towards Quantification
3. Myths and Stereotypes: A Study of Changing Black Images
4. Servant, Sailor, Soldier, Tailor, Beggarman: Black Survival in White Society
5. Thief, Victim, Witness, Transportee: The Black Presence through Criminal Records
6. Lascars: Eastern Seamen in London
7. In Search of the Invisible: Black Family and Community
8. New Departures and Dimensions

[Tress · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author, Norma Myers, clearly did a lot of research into the topic she was exploring. However, from reading other books on the same topic, this publication tends to lean into the data and other's sources and quotes quite heavily. This is not a bad thing and could be useful if you want examples of where data can be found on the topic and get a rough understanding of numbers. That said, for me, having this much rough data and no interpretation was challenging. I'll keep it on hand for any numbers or ideas of where to find primary data while I do my own research.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good if you're looking for a book with a lot of quantitative data on Black populations in late 18th-early 19th c, but not great for much qualitative analysis. Like another reviewer said, most of this book can be summed up with: "we don't have enough evidence to say for sure..."