History Extra podcast How enslaved people fought for freedom across the Atlantic
17 snips
Oct 14, 2025 
Sudhir Hazareesingh, an academic at Balliol College and author of Daring to Be Free, delves into the untold stories of enslaved peoples' resistance across the Atlantic. He discusses the impactful role of African traditions in shaping their struggles and highlights the Haitian Revolution as a pivotal moment inspiring global activism. Women’s contributions as strategists and fighters are brought to light, alongside cultural acts like ritual and song that fueled rebellion. Hazareesingh emphasizes the importance of recognizing and honoring the debts owed to this history today.
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Solitude's Tragic Resistance
- Solitude fought French troops in Guadeloupe after emancipation and was captured, gave birth, and executed the next day.
- Her story was long ignored and later recovered as emblematic of many anonymous resistors.
Reading The Archive Backwards
- The slavery archive is dominated by slavers' records, leaving enslaved voices fragmentary or absent.
- Oral histories, memoirs and piecing fragments together reveal widespread resistance previously erased from records.
Choose Language That Names Coercion
- Use the term 'enslaved' to acknowledge coercion and preserve humanity rather than 'slave'.
- Balance historical accuracy with language that avoids replicating slavers' dehumanising terminology.
