Roots of Betrayal: A Historical Examination of African Tribes Selling Other Africans to Europeans explores a lesser-addressed dimension of the transatlantic slave trade: the decisions and circumstances that led some African states and merchants to capture and sell their own continent’s people. Spanning from pre-colonial complexities to the eventual abolition of the trade, the book examines how shifting power dynamics, the allure of European goods (especially firearms), and regional rivalries intersected to create a tragic commerce in human lives. Along the way, it also highlights the resilience of those who resisted, the roles played by different European powers, and the enduring legacies evident in modern cultural, political, and social spheres.

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