Reviews for Africa Squadron: The U.S. Navy and the Slave Trade, 1842-1861

The average rating for Africa Squadron: The U.S. Navy and the Slave Trade, 1842-1861 based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-07-25 00:00:00 Michael Wimberley Whenever I see Donald L. Canney's name on a book, I can be confident that it is well-researched, well-written, and interesting. Africa Squadron is a good example; it's a topic that hasn't been covered much before, and while it's about the antebellum navy, the connections with the approaching Civil War are significant. Despite repeated calls from squadron commanders for steamships to deal with the uncooperative winds and currents off West Africa, a short-sighted and parsimonious Congress and Navy department failed to respond, leaving the Africa Squadron (until just prior to its end) to make do with vessels not well suited for the role, and an increasingly polarized court system in the United States meant that many of the slavers captured by the squadron were set free (and in some cases even pursued legal action against the capturing naval officers). It's also relevant with regard to the way the blockade would be conducted in the Civil War, in the sense that the Africa Squadron provided an almost textbook case of how *not* to interdict commerce.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-05-02 00:00:00 Erja Vaajoki This book produced by the Park Service contains a total of three essays about the history of the Underground Railroad and slavery in the United States. It is a very good overview and has a wonderful further reading list at the back. It is stuffed with infromation and illustrations. Well worth the purchase price. Crossposted at Booklikes.