White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America 1/31/08 Edition

by Don Jordan (Author), Michael Walsh (Author)

904 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0814742969

ISBN-10: 0814742963

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The forgotten story of the thousands of white Britons who lived and died in bondage in Britain’s American colonies

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, more than 300,000 white people were shipped to America as slaves. Urchins were swept up from London’s streets to labor in the tobacco fields, where life expectancy was no more than two years. Brothels were raided to provide “breeders” for Virginia. Hopeful migrants were duped into signing as indentured servants, unaware they would become personal property who could be bought, sold, and even gambled away. Transported convicts were paraded for sale like livestock.

Drawing on letters crying for help, diaries, and court and government archives, Don Jordan and Michael Walsh demonstrate that the brutalities usually associated with black slavery alone were perpetrated on whites throughout British rule. The trade ended with American independence, but the British still tried to sell convicts in their former colonies, which prompted one of the most audacious plots in Anglo-American history.

This is a saga of exploration and cruelty spanning 170 years that has been submerged under the overwhelming memory of black slavery. White Cargo brings the brutal, uncomfortable story to the surface.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

High school American history classes present indentured servitude as a benignly paternalistic system whereby colonial immigrants spent a few years working off their passage and went on to better things. Not so, this impassioned history argues: the indentured servitude of whites was comparable in most respects to the slavery endured by blacks. Voluntary indentures arriving in colonial America from Britain were sold on the block, subjected to backbreaking work on plantations, poorly fed and clothed, savagely punished for any disobedience, forbidden to marry without their master's permission, and whipped and branded for running away. Nor were indentures always voluntary: tens of thousands of convicts, beggars, homeless children and other undesirable Britons were transported to America against their will. Given the hideous mortality rates, the authors argue, indentured contracts often amounted to a life sentence at hard labor—some convicts asked to be hanged rather than be sent to Virginia. The authors, both television documentarians, don't attempt a systematic survey of the subject, and their episodic narrative often loses its way in colorful but extraneous digressions. Still, their exposé of unfree labor in the British colonies paints an arresting portrait of early America as gulag. 8 pages of photos. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"“A colorful series of portraits of villains and victims, exploiters and exploited, rendered with bemused outrage." ― Choice

"This vividly written book tells the tale from both sides of the Atlantic . . . meticulously sourced and footnotedbut is never dry or academic...Jordan and Walsh offer an explanation of how the structures of slaveryblack or whitewere entwined in the roots of American society. They refrain from drawing links to today, except to remind readers that there are probably tens of millions of Americans who are descended from white slaves without even knowing it." ― New York Times Book Review

"High school American history classes present indentured servitude as a benignly paternalistic system whereby colonial immigrants spent a few years working off their passage and went on to better things. Not so, this impassioned history argues: the indentured servitude of whites was comparable in most respects to the slavery endured by blacks. Given the hideous mortality rates, the authors argue, indentured contracts often amounted to a life sentence at hard labor―some convicts asked to be hanged rather than be sent to Virginia . . . their exposé of unfree labor in the British colonies paints an arresting portrait of early America as gulag. 8 pages of photos" ― Publishers Weekly

"With information gleaned from contemporary letters, journals and court archives, White Cargo is packed with proof that he brutalities usually associated with black slavery were, for centuries, also inflicted on whites" ― Daily Mail

"An eye-opening and heart-rending story" ― The Times (London)

Publisher ‏ : ‎ NYU Press; 1/31/08 edition (March 8, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0814742963
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0814742969
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.02 x 0.8 x 9.21 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #59,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3 in Jordan History
- #44 in European History (Books)
- #89 in U.S. Colonial Period History

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904 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Donna Marie

HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2019

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Inaccurate, to start with. No original sources referenced. No page numbers mentioned in references. Many quotes do not have references. Many author conclusions not substantiated. Standard historical re-write of reality. Very disappointing, but typical, unfortunately.

Just as phony as the picture on the cover with a gold ring on his little finger. Write slaves had nothing; very poor.
Suggestion: Find books with original sources. You'll get a more accurate picture. Don't waste your time and money on this one.

111 people found this helpful

Helpful

Leo Higgins

White slavery in the British Colonies comes to light.

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2018

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"White Cargo" does a deep historical dive into Colonial American slavery, (indentured servants), for "His Majesty's plantations".

For 170 years, (1606 -1776), England meted out this new lucrative reality by ridding itself and neighboring countries of its drunkards, dregs, vagabonds, criminals, and urchins. It's believed that 300,000 Europeans were kidnapped and/or sold a bill of goods, (becoming "free willers"). These “free willers” contracted for oceanic passage to the New World by agreeing to indentured service for a promising future.

Approximately half would never survive their bondage. Indentured servants generally had a 7 - 14 year contract to toil away on the plantations. The multitudes that were "spirited away", (shanghaied), to America were routinely treated like animals with beatings, whippings, neck irons etc. Of course the "free willers" had no clue of the horrors that awaited them. They believed that America was the land of opportunity and as such would enjoy a prosperous, comfortable life, (once they paid for their passage via laboring in the fields). Nothing was further from the truth.

England referred to indentured servants as "chattels" and as such became the property of their new owner/master.

The first chattels (slaves) in Colonial America were white Europeans. A majority initially consisted of convicts from England and then a surge of Irish Catholics were "spirited away" to make room in Ireland for the burgeoning British and Scottish Protestant populations. Two days after the American Revolutionary War began the trafficking of white human cargo ended. King George III eventually settled at sending his miscreants and convicts to Australia and New Zealand, circa 1820.

Public education in the USA sanitized this cruel chapter in its pernicious beginnings. It's too bad -- as we generally learn from our past. But when history is whitewashed, (no pun intended), then no one is the wiser. As the saying goes, "ignorance is bliss".

126 people found this helpful

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Just Me

Not Politically Correct History

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2017

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This is the history of white indentured servitude (slavery by another name) you are not taught in school. Great Britain used several colonies as off shore prison colonies. Colonial America was just one. Families in Great Britain would pay their debts by selling a child into servitude on ships or into apprenticeships. To think or believe, mistakenly, that ONLY Africans were/are slaves is to be ignorant of history and current events. Read further and find out who the people were that were the financial backbone of the 16th & 17th century's African slave trade. It was NOT the American colonists. Government schools in the US don't want our children to know the information in this book. Read & educate yourselves.

140 people found this helpful

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Jim

Excellent history. While visiting Ireland I toured a "White ...

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2016

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Excellent history. While visiting Ireland I toured a "White Slave Museum." Everyone should be aware of slavery in everyone's history, some more recent than others. And, everyone should work to ensure this doesn't occur again...to anyone.

113 people found this helpful

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Reviewer #3

An excellent work on a neglected if not intentionally ignored subject

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2016

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An excellent work on a neglected if not intentionally ignored subject. While everyone knows of the convicts shipped to Australia, few realize the scheme originated for and was carried on for decades to supply America, even beyond the revolution. The popular concept of "indentured servants" is merely as an expedient and honorable way to seek one's fortune in the new world. The truth is much more sinister. The authors did their research well and cite plenty of primary source material to support it. A must read book, to truly understand the peopling of early America. This book drives home the power wielded for financial gain and political power without regard for human cost. An issue that remains to this day.

98 people found this helpful

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dreamcatcher1217

This book is so good. The detail amazing but graphic

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2016

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This book is so good. The detail amazing but graphic. I know this is what our ancestors went through. Knowing most of them were from ages 10 to 19 is heart breaking is so hard for me to read at times. Endured slaves is what they were called. Most not making the crowded ride over in the bow of a ship. If they were fortunate to survive they did not last for long. One girl kept running away from one house hold until they gave her 500 slashes with a whip. Afterwards, she crawled off and died. Knowing there was nothing left of her body after that many lashings. Anyone with an Irish bloodline needs to read this. It has opened my eyes to so much, and I just wonder where they buried these poor souls at?

51 people found this helpful

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Jesse

Incredibly racist

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2020

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I tried writing a detailed review, but it was not published, so here's a simple review.

This is a pro-white book of white supremacy disguised as history.

That's all, folks.

15 people found this helpful

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Carolyn Lancaster

White Cargo is an eye-opener!

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2016

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The book came in the condition advertised and more quickly than expected. I am doing a presentation with another person in our genealogy group about indentured servants in America, and this is a book we will be drawing on for material. I had no idea the practice was so widespread here in the 17th century. I researched my own immigrant ancestors and found several had come here bound. But I believe they were better treated than many in this book, and they apparently wanted to emigrate. (Sometimes it's the luck of the draw.). It also brought to mind that this practice is still going on and it is UGLY! Human trafficking today is one of the reasons that this book is important. I can't say that I "liked" it...the subject isn't an entertainment...but I am glad to have read it and will pass it on to others.

52 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

martyG

A must read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2020

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A comprehensive, well-researched take on the founding of America by English adventurers. This is a bloody tale of man's inhumanity to man and the price the ordinary people of Ireland, England and Scotland paid for the success (?) of the colonisation of the New World and the savagery meted out to the native American indians in the drive to steal and put them off their land. Easy to read with a natural, flowing style and highly recommended.

6 people found this helpful

Mr. M. E. King

White cargo.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

No less brutal or scandalous than black slavery was the servitude and bondage suffered by white British, Irish, and German people at the hands of profiteering merchants and plantation holder in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. One feels almost ashamed to be British after reading this sad account of man's inhumanity to their fellow man.

6 people found this helpful

Glen Pettifer

Compelling and controversial but eye opening

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2018

Verified Purchase

When I saw this book it fascinated me to know more. After reading it it's out many things into perspective and although slavery in general is frowned upon, it's fascinating to see how one human used to treat another. This book has become an interesting topic i now want to read more about.
It makes me wonder where and what state out society will in in in 100 or 200 or 300 years time.
This is an interesting read and I'll certainly be recommending this book to anyone who mentions slavery.

5 people found this helpful

Malcolm

British White Slavery in Colonial America.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

White Cargo is the interesting and revealing story of Britain's White
Slaves and indentured servants who were shipped to the American
colonies prior to the birth of the USA.

Written by Don Jordan (tv producer and director) and Michael Walsh
who used to be a reporter-presenter on World in Action for ITV, who
have brought together source material from diaries, journals, court
and government records to create this forgotten history, which was
never taught in UK schools.

From the 17th century, over a time period which spanned 170 years
more than 300,000 men, women and children were sent in conditions
of bondage, to work the land of unscrupulous plantation owners with
the full knowledge and acquiescence of the government of Britain.
Street children, orphans and the like were rounded up and shipped
away. Prostitutes were seized from brothels to breed babies which
would increase the populace in Virginia and other colonies.
Some were offered passage as "indentured servants" who believed
that they would be paid for their labour and then return home,
but few, if any, survived the harsh whippings and other punishments
with many dying of heatstroke and disease.

320 pages, with full source notes, select bibliography and indexed.
Published in 2007.
Definitely an eye-opener.

14 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Enslaved

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book is an eye opener on a topic I had become recently aware but had no idea of immense it was more people should be made aware of these facts especially the so called 'woke' whom I suspect believe only blacks were enslaved.

One person found this helpful

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White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America 1/31/08 Edition

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