In Saltwater Slavery, Smallwood recreates the trade of enslaved people through the eyes of enslaved African people from the Gold Coast, using archival material from the Royal African Company. How does this approach differ from that of previous books written on the subject? How is it similar? What other sources could she draw from to create a fuller picture of the impact of the market of enslaved people on human lives?

How did contact with Europe change the Gold Coast? What do you think the politics and economy of the region would look like without the Atlantic trade market?

A major theme throughout Saltwater Slavery is the commodification of human beings. Can you think of another historical example of this? How did it come about, and for what purpose?