I note a curious anti-empiricist tone to some of the recent postings
concerning the slave trade from Goree. It might help to tell people on
H-AFRICA how the matter came up.
It began with a posting on the slavery list, from someone presumably
in US history, who asked where he could find out about the
slave-trade depot at Goree and its connection with the slave trade to
the US. As a participant in that list, who has also written widely
on the slave trade and on Senegalese history, what should I do?
One possibilty is simply be quiet, even though I knew the answer
to the question asked.
A second is to lie about the matter in deference to people's
feelings about the slave trade.
A the third, which I chose, was to give the most accurate brief
answer I could.
I should add that the fact that not much slave trade took place at
Goree has nothing to do with the horror of the slave trade in
general, and that accurate evidence is a fundamental base to all
historical enquiry.