1517 – 1810
Transatlantic slavery was a brutal system in which millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas and other parts of the world. Enslaved individuals endured inhumane conditions both during the journey and upon arrival, facing grueling labor, severe mistreatment, and deprivation of basic rights. This period deeply impacted African societies and shaped the economic and social landscapes globally, with a legacy that continues to resonate today. (Books about resistance to and the end of slavery in the US can be found here.)
Picture books
The Listeners (Tales of Young Americans)
Story of a young enslaved girl making sense of her world
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Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad
Journey on the Amistad from the fictionalized point of view of a child aboard
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The People Could Fly: The Picture Book
Moving folk tale about enslaved people flying to freedom
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Light in the Darkness: A Story about How Slaves Learned in Secret
Story about enslaved people holding a secret school
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Chapter books
The Slave Dancer
Award-winning novel about a teenage boy aboard a slave ship
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47
Mysterious novel about an enslaved boy, mixing speculative and historical fiction
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Two Sisters: A Story of Freedom
Novel about two half-sisters, one enslaved, based on real events
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Freedom
Novel about an enslaved boy, on a slave ship and in London
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The Kidnapped Prince: The Life of Olaudah Equiano
Adapted true story of an enslaved boy’s experiences in England, the US, and the West Indies
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Non-fiction books
If You Lived When There Was Slavery In America
Accessible introduction to slavery in America
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Slavery
Photo-rich reference book about slavery
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Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science
Cross-cutting history of sugar, including its role in the slave trade
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The First Passage: Blacks in the Americas 1502-1617
Exploration of the experiences of enslaved people in North, Central, and South America, for older readers
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The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Slavery Comes to the New World
History of the slave trade and its ramifications, for older readers
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Biographies
My Name is James Madison Hemings
Story of a real enslaved boy growing up at Monticello
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Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley
In-depth story of America’s first published black poet
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Passenger on the Pearl: The True Story of Emily Edmonson’s Flight from Slavery
Compelling true story of a girl’s flight from slavery
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Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
Outstanding picture book about an enslaved artist
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The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
Story of an enslaved Cuban boy who grew up to be a poet
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Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge: George and Martha Washington’s Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away
Story of an enslaved woman who served, then escaped from, the Washingtons
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