Synopses & Reviews
Throughout history, blame for the introduction of slavery in America has been squarely placed upon the slave traders who ravaged African villages, the merchants who auctioned off human lives as if they were cattle, and the slave owners who ruthlessly beat their helpless victims. There is, however, above all these men, another person who has seemingly been able to avoid the blame due her. The origins of slavery -- often described as America's shame -- can actually be traced back to a woman, England's Queen Elizabeth I.
During the 1560s, Elizabeth was encouraging a Renaissance in her kingdom but also knew her country's economy could not finance her dreams for it. On direct orders from Her Majesty, John Hawkyns set sail from England. His destination: West Africa. His mission: to capture human lives.
After landing on the African coast, he used a series of brutal raids, violent beatings, and sheer terror to load his ships. As the first major slave trader, Hawkyns's actions and attitudes toward his cargo set the precedent for those who followed him for the next two hundred years. In The Queen's Slave Trader, historian Nick Hazlewood's haunting discoveries take you into the mind-set of the men who made their livelihoods trafficking human souls and at long last reveals the man who began it all -- and the woman behind him.
Review
“A gripping tale and a sterling analysis of Englands first foray into the nastiest of human enterprises.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Hazlewood writes with precision, passion and the ease born of familiarity with his subject.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
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“[An] engrossing, well-researched account.” Booklist
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“Hazlewoods book is a tour de force.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Synopsis
The Queen's Slave Trader tells the story of England's first incursions into a horrific commercial enterprise it would come to dominate. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, John Hawkyns led three voyages to West Africa. With royal approval, hundreds of Africans were abducted and carried across the Atlantic, where they were sold in colonies along the Spanish Main and the West Indies.
Hawkyns's slave trading days were brought to an end when his ships were destroyed by the Spanish, but he had set in motion an industry that would ultimately cause the suffering and death of millions for the sake of profit. Nick Hazlewood's gripping, meticulously researched account of the life of Hawkyns is a compelling and unforgettable depiction of the birth of this shameful chapter in history.
Nick Hazlewood has a degree in history and in 1994 he left his job with the trade union UNISON to go travelling throughout South and Central America. He is a freelance journalist and writer and lives in North London.
" An] impressively researched and disturbing biography ... Brilliantly evocative of 16th century Anglo-Spanish rivalry and the brutality of Elizabethan maritime life, Hazlewood's book is a tour-de-force that condemns rather than romanticizes its thuggish adventurer." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
About the Author
Nick Hazlewood has a degree in history and, in 1994, left his job with the trade union UNISON to travel throughout South and Central America. He is a freelance journalist and writer and lives in Madrid.