While the rise and abolition of slavery and ongoing race relations are central themes of the history of the United States, the African diaspora actually had a far greater impact on Latin and Central America. More than ten times as many Africans came to Spanish and Portuguese America as the United States. In this, the first history of the African diaspora in Latin America from emancipation to the present, George Reid Andrews deftly synthesizes the history of people of African descent in every Latin American country from Mexico and the Caribbean to Argentina. He examines how African peooples and their descendants made their way from slavery to freedom and how they helped shape and responded to political, economic, and cultural changes in their societies. Individually and collectively they pursued the goals of freedom, equality, and citizenship through military service, political parties, civic organizations, labor unions, religious activity, and other avenues. Spanning two centuries, this tour de force should be read by anyone interested in Latin American history, the history of slavery, and the African diaspora, as well as the future of Latin America.

About the Author
George Reid Andrews is UCIS Research Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of The Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900 and Blacks and Whites in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1888-1988.

Reviews
...a thoughtful account that should change the way we view and teach the role of Africans in the New World. * Colin M. Maclachlan, Hispanic American Historical Review *


Awards
Winner of Arthur P. Whitaker Prize of the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2005.



Book Information
ISBN 9780195152333
Author George Reid Andrews
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 440g
Dimensions(mm) 157mm * 235mm * 20mm