About the book
Scholarship on slavery in the Caribbean frequently emphasizes sugar and tobacco production, but this unique work illustrates the importance of the hato economy—a combination of livestock ranching, foodstuff cultivation, and timber harvesting—to the region.
David Stark makes use of extensive Catholic parish records to provide a comprehensive examination of slavery in Puerto Rico and across the Spanish Caribbean. He reconstructs slave families to examine incidences of marriage, as well as birth and death rates. These records provide never-before-analyzed details about how many enslaved Africans came to Puerto Rico, where they came from, and how their populations grew through natural increase.
Stark convincingly argues that when animal husbandry drove much of the island’s economy, slavery was less harsh than in better-known plantation regimes geared toward crop cultivation. Slaves in the hato economy experienced more favorable conditions for family formation, relatively relaxed work regimes, higher fertility rates, and lower mortality rates.
Puerto Rican Hato Economy and Slave Family Patterns offers a fresh counterpoint to the focus on sugar and tobacco cultivation that has dominated the historiography of the Spanish Caribbean.
Editions of Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico
- PDF
- ISBN 9780813055190
Read an Excerpt
Scholarship on slavery in the Caribbean frequently emphasizes sugar and tobacco production, but this unique work illustrates the importance of the hato economy—a combination of livestock ranching, foodstuff cultivation, and timber harvesting—to the region.
David Stark makes use of extensive Catholic parish records to provide a comprehensive examination of slavery in Puerto Rico and across the Spanish Caribbean. He reconstructs slave families to examine incidences of marriage, as well as birth and death rates. These records provide never-before-analyzed details about how many enslaved Africans came to Puerto Rico, where they came from, and how their populations grew through natural increase.
Stark convincingly argues that when animal husbandry drove much of the island’s economy, slavery was less harsh than in better-known plantation regimes geared toward crop cultivation. Slaves in the hato economy experienced more favorable conditions for family formation, relatively relaxed work regimes, higher fertility rates, and lower mortality rates.
Puerto Rican Hato Economy and Slave Family Patterns offers a fresh counterpoint to the focus on sugar and tobacco cultivation that has dominated the historiography of the Spanish Caribbean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico about?
Scholarship on slavery in the Caribbean frequently emphasizes sugar and tobacco production, but this unique work illustrates the importance of the hato economy—a combination of livestock ranching, foodstuff cultivation, and timber harvesting—to the region.
David Stark makes use of extensive Catholic parish records to provide a comprehensive examination of slavery in Puerto Rico and across the Spanish Caribbean. He reconstructs slave families to examine incidences of marriage, as well as birth and death rates. These records provide never-before-analyzed details about how many enslaved Africans came to Puerto Rico, where they came from, and how their populations grew through natural increase.
Stark convincingly argues that when animal husbandry drove much of the island’s economy, slavery was less harsh than in better-known plantation regimes geared toward crop cultivation. Slaves in the hato economy experienced more favorable conditions for family formation, relatively relaxed work regimes, higher fertility rates, and lower mortality rates.
Puerto Rican Hato Economy and Slave Family Patterns offers a fresh counterpoint to the focus on sugar and tobacco cultivation that has dominated the historiography of the Spanish Caribbean.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780813055190
How long is Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico and how many pages does it have?
Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico has 304 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico?
David M. Stark
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico is available as pdf(ISBN 9780813055190)
Where can I buy Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico from below
Where can I buy Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico?