Slaves: from insubordination to revolt

Aline Helg's magnificent book is the story of an emancipation, that of slaves throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. Contrary to popular belief, and despite their dehumanizing status, slaves did not wait for abolition to claim their freedom and try to conquer it. Escape and marronage, emancipation, military engagement against the promise of manumission were the strategies most frequently used, proving that slaves were also the actors of their own destiny.