“The Age of Abolition was a period when states a colonial empires were desperate to continue the supply of labour to growing plantation industries. It was also a period when former slaves began to assert their rights as citizens. This collection of sources give insight into how entrepreneurs and state officials engaged in international relations to solve the challenges of their time. The collection is also a reminder that avenues not taken—the migration of free Afro-Americans to Suriname —are crucial to understand the history of this period." 

Karwan Fatah-Black, University Lecturer at the Institute for History, Leiden University.

“This collection of sources is a very welcome addition to Surinamese and Caribbean historiography. The negotiations between the Netherlands and the United States shed light on a understudied topic; it is surprising how little we know about these crucial years of abolition beyond the actual abolition of slavery and the remuneration of the owners. The topic plus the translations into English make this publication a valuable contribution to pan-Caribbean history as it will help students and scholars to look beyond the borders of empire and will invite connecting perspectives on colonization plans for and by formerly enslaved African Americans.
What make these papers even more interesting is that the abolition processes in the USA and Suriname coincided.”

Professor Rosemarijn Hoefte, President Association of Caribbean History