Bibliography of slavery in the United States

This bibliography of slavery in the United States is a guide to books documenting the history of slavery in the U.S., from its colonial origins in the 17th century through the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which officially abolished the practice in 1865. In addition, links are provided to related bibliographies and articles elsewhere in Wikipedia.

Histories

Inspection of an African man being sold into slavery.

Regions

The North

The South

Historical eras

Colonial Era: 16th century—1776

Revolutionary Era: 1776—early 19th century

Civil War Era: 1850s—1870s

Reconstruction/Jim Crow Eras: 1870s—1965

Biographies

David W. Blight's 2018 biography of abolitionist Frederick Douglass won the Pulitzer Prize for History.

Essay collections

The following collections explore either related topics or a range of issues tied to slavery. Many of the essays are by leading scholars on the subject.

Encyclopedias

Topics

Abolition/anti-slavery

Proslavery arguments held that blacks were incapable of caring for themselves.

Agriculture/plantations

Constitution/law

Economics/capitalism

Emancipation/freedom

Government/politics

Material culture

  • Katz-Hyman, Martha B.; Rice, Kym S., eds. (2010). World of a Slave: Encyclopedia of the Material Life of Slaves in the United States. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-34942-3.
  • McGill, Joseph Jr.; Frazier, Herb (2023). Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery. New York: Hachette Books. ISBN 9780306829666.
  • Vlach, John Michael (1991). By the Work of Their Hands: Studies in Afro-American Folklife. Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia. ISBN 978-0-8139-1366-7.

Native Americans

Proslavery

Race/racism

Slave trade

Engraving of a slave auction in the Southern United States.

Religion

Rebellions/resistance

Underground railroad

Women

Woman whipping slave girl.

Primary sources

Abolition/anti-slavery

Biographies/narratives

Proslavery

For younger readers