Jennifer L. Morgan

Slavery history, metaphors, and meaning

The history of slavery shaped the economic, political, and cultural foundations of the modern world. This syllabus explores how historians study slavery through archives, material culture, and critical theory, while examining the enduring legacies of enslavement in questions of race, capitalism, memory, and justice.

Cultures and contexts in the Black Atlantic

Moving from the 15th century to the present, this course brings together history, literature, and criticism to trace the histories of Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Through foundational texts and critical questions, students will explore how the legacies of the Black Atlantic continue to influence ideas of race, freedom, memory, and justice.

Reading resistance in the archive

Historian Jennifer L. Morgan reads the archive of Atlantic slavery against the grain to recover what its record tried to bury: the resistance of enslaved women.