Module manager: Dr Peter Maw
Email: p.maw@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
HIST5860M (Britain and the Slave Trade)
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module examines Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the development, operation, and legacies of slavery within its Atlantic empire from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. You will investigate how Britain became the leading slave-trading nation, how the trade was integrated into imperial trade and domestic society, and how slavery and the profits derived from it shaped Britain’s economy, culture, and political life. You will explore the human, economic, and ideological dimensions of slavery and its abolition through a wide range of primary and secondary sources. The module follows the rise of the Atlantic system from the capture and transportation of enslaved Africans to the plantation economies of the Caribbean and North America. You will consider how enslaved people experienced, resisted, and survived this system, and how their struggles intersected with debates about empire and race. The module also examines the long aftermath and memory of slavery, tracing how abolition reshaped Britain’s empire and how its legacies continue to shape British society, public memory, and debates over national identity and historical responsibility. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module aims to deepen your understanding of Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and of the wider economic, social, and cultural world that slavery created and sustained. It encourages you to examine how the trade developed, how it was organised and justified, how it was challenged, and how its legacies continue to shape Britain and the Atlantic world. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, and private study, you will engage critically with primary and secondary sources to develop an informed and reflective perspective on this central aspect of Britain’s imperial past. Weekly lectures introduce major themes, frameworks, and historiographical debates, while seminars focus on detailed discussion of primary evidence and key readings.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Analyse the structure and operation of the transatlantic slave trade and evaluate its significance for Britain’s imperial and economic development.
2. Interpret a range of primary sources relating to the slave trade, slavery, and abolition, in relation to authorship, content, purpose, and historical context.
3. Evaluate major historiographical debates concerning slavery and empire, identifying key arguments and schools of interpretation.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Synthesise and evaluate secondary scholarship, situating individual works within wider historiographical trends.
5. Construct a sustained, evidence-based argument in written form, integrating primary and secondary materials to support clear analytical conclusions.
6. Communicate complex historical interpretations effectively and persuasively, applying skills in organisation, referencing, and academic writing.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Lectures | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminars | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 179.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Literature review: In preparation for the literature review, you will have the opportunity to submit and get feedback on an annotated bibliography.
Essay: to support the preparation of the essay you will be invited to an individual meeting with the tutor to discuss an essay plan.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Literature review | 40 |
| Coursework | Essay | 60 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 20/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team