Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-272) and index.

Origins of the American slave system -- The establishment of African slavery in Latin America in the 16th century -- Sugar and slavery in the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries -- Slavery in Portuguese and Spanish America in the 18th century -- Slavery and the plantation economy in the Caribbean in the 19th century -- Slavery and the plantation economy in Brazil and the Guyanas in the 19th century -- Life, death, and the family in Afro-American slave societies -- Creation of a slave community and Afro-American culture -- Slave resistance and rebellion -- Freedmen in a slave society -- Transition from slavery to freedom.