The Price They Paid

Slavery, Shipwrecks, and Reparations Before the Civil War

Jeff Forret

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Hardback

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English

The New Press
26 February 2025

History of the Americas; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Slavery & abolition of slavery

A prizewinning historian uncovers one of the earliest instances of reparations in America-ironically, though perhaps not surprisingly, paid to slaveholders, not former slaves

""A spectacular achievement of historical research. Forret shows for the first time just how far the American government went to secure reparations."" Calhoun: American Heretic

Winner of the Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction Winner, John Lyman Book Award in North American Maritime History

In 1831, the American ship Comet, carrying 165 enslaved men, women, and children, crashed onto a coral reef near the shore of the Bahamas, then part of the British Empire. Shortly afterward, the Vice Admiralty Court in Nassau, over the outraged objections of the ship's owners, set the rescued captives free. American slave owners and the companies who insured the liberated human cargo would spend years lobbying for reparations from Great Britain, not for the emancipated slaves, of course, but for the masters deprived of their human property.

In a work of profoundly relevant research and storytelling, historian and Frederick Douglass Prizewinner Jeff Forret uncovers how the Comet incident-as well as similar episodes that unfolded over the next decade-resulted in the British Crown making reparations payments to a U.S. government that strenuously represented slaveholder interests. Through a story that has never been fully explored, The Price They Paid shows how, unlike their former owners and insurers, neither the survivors of the Comet and other vessels, nor their descendants, have ever received reparations for the price they paid in their lives, labor, and suffering during slavery.

Any accounting of reparations today requires a fuller understanding of how the debts of slavery have been paid, and to whom. The Price They Paid represents a major step forward in that effort.

By: Jeff Forret
Imprint: The New Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 228mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 21mm
ISBN: 9781620978863
ISBN 10: 1620978865
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 26 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Jeff Forret (The New Press). He lives in Lumberton, Texas.

Reviews for The Price They Paid: Slavery, Shipwrecks, and Reparations Before the Civil War

Praise for The Price They Paid: ""Weaving together rich character portraits of diplomats, lawyers, and other players involved on both sides of the Atlantic, this is an enlightening examination of what moves the levers of power."" —Publishers Weekly ""A detailed and worthy study of the clash of abolitionist and pro-slavery forces in early America."" —Kirkus Reviews ""A brilliant excavation of a lost corner of American history, The Price They Paid reveals that today’s debates over what we owe the descendants of slavery have deep and complicated roots. A riveting read in its own right—and an essential touchstone for anyone grappling with reparations in the twenty-first century."" —Michael Eric Dyson, university distinguished professor, Vanderbilt University, and New York Times bestselling author of Tears We Cannot Stop ""A spectacular achievement of historical research. Forret shows for the first time just how far the American government went to secure reparations."" —Robert Elder, author of Calhoun: American Heretic