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The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America Hardcover – April 12, 2016

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 894 ratings

A landmark history — the sweeping story of the enslavement of tens of thousands of Indians across America, from the time of the conquistadors up to the early 20th century

Since the time of Columbus, Indian slavery was illegal in much of the American continent. Yet, as Andrés Reséndez illuminates in his myth-shattering
The Other Slavery, it was practiced for centuries as an open secret. There was no abolitionist movement to protect the tens of thousands of natives who were kidnapped and enslaved by the conquistadors, then forced to descend into the “mouth of hell” of eighteenth-century silver mines or, later, made to serve as domestics for Mormon settlers and rich Anglos.  
 Reséndez builds the incisive case that it was mass slavery, more than epidemics, that decimated Indian populations across North America. New evidence, including testimonies of courageous priests, rapacious merchants, Indian captives, and Anglo colonists, sheds light too on Indian enslavement of other Indians — as what started as a European business passed into the hands of indigenous operators and spread like wildfire across vast tracts of the American Southwest.  

The Other Slavery reveals nothing less than a key missing piece of American history.  For over two centuries we have fought over, abolished, and tried to come to grips with African-American slavery.  It is time for the West to confront an entirely separate, equally devastating enslavement we have long failed truly to see. 
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A National Book Award finalist

“Reséndez corrects a blind spot in our understanding of North American history and illuminates mechanisms by which present-day versions of the practice endure.”
—The New Yorker

"This book is, arguably, one of the most profound contributions to North American history published since Patricia Nelson Limerick's "Legacy of Conquest" and Richard White's "The Middle Ground." But it's not necessary to be into history to understand its power: Our world is still the world Reséndez so eloquently anatomizes."
—Los Angeles Times

"The Other Slavery is a necessary work that occupies a loaded historical landscape; Reséndez keeps a deliberate scholarly distance from the material, bringing forth evidence and constructing careful — even conservative — arguments. But that evidence speaks for itself, and the horrors quietly pile up." — NPR.org

"No other book before has so thoroughly related the broad history of Indian slavery in the Americas, and not just its facts but the very reason it has been overlooked."
—San Francisco Chronicle

"Reséndez is adept at untangling the intertribal slave trade, as well as the pernicious behavior of white settlers in northern California."
—Philadelphia Inquirer

"With his new book, Reséndez joins a small but growing group of historians reexamining the scope and nutre of slavery in the Southwest and Native America."
—Santa Fe New Mexican

"
The Other Slavery is an eye-opening story about the enslavement of Indians. It is well researched and well written—a tragic, but fascinating look at a little explored dark corner of New World history." —eMissourian

“Every now and then a new book comes along that throws a switch on our historical valences and makes us see ourselves anew.
The Other Slavery is one such book. Much as Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee did when it first appeared in the early 1970s, Andrés Reséndez's carefully sifted work fundamentally reshapes our understanding of a great enduring mystery: What really accounts for the swift and tragic demise of our continent's indigenous peoples?” —Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder and In the Kingdom of Ice

“In 
The Other Slavery Andrés Reséndez retells a vast section of Native American and North American history by putting forced labor in its multiple forms at the center. The result is a revealing, tragic, and heartbreaking history.” —Richard White, Margaret Byrne Professor of American History, Stanford University

"
This eye-opening exposure of the abuse of the indigenous peoples of America is staggering; that the mistreatment continued into the 20th century is beyond disturbing." Kirkus

"Emphasizing the variety of experiences of unfree labor suffered over five centuries by individuals from communities as culturally diverse and geographically separate as the Maya, the Apache, and indigenous Caribbeans,
Reséndez vividly recounts the harrowing story of a previously little-known aspect of the histories of American slavery and of encounters between indigenes and invaders. Publisher's Weekly

"Today, with the complex and myriad effects of globalization frequently in the news, human trafficking has managed to endure. 
The Other Slavery both reminds and cautions: Man’s inhumanity to man is still making history." BookPage

“At a time when we are struggling to come to grips with the legacy of our long-time African slavery experience, it is only right that we should also acknowledge and inform ourselves of the human tragedy endured by the indigenous people of this hemisphere from Columbus’ first contact to the present.” 
New York Journal of Books

From the Inside Flap

A landmark history the sweeping story of the enslavement of tens of thousands of Indians across America, from the time of the conquistadors up to the early twentieth century

Since the time of Columbus, Indian slavery was illegal in much of the American continent. Yet, as Andrés Reséndez illuminates in his myth-shattering
The Other Slavery, it was practiced for centuries as an open secret. There was no abolitionist movement to protect the tens of thousands of Natives who were kidnapped and enslaved by the conquistadors, then forced to descend into the mouth of hell of eighteenth-century silver mines or, later, made to serve as domestics for Mormon settlers and rich Anglos.

Reséndez builds the incisive, original case that it was mass slavery more than epidemics that decimated Indian populations across North America. New evidence, including testimonies of courageous priests, rapacious merchants, Indian captives, and Anglo colonists, sheds light too on Indian enslavement of other Indians as what started as a European business passed into the hands of indigenous operators and spread like wildfire across vast tracts of the American Southwest.

The Other Slavery is nothing less than a key missing piece of American history. For over two centuries we have fought over, abolished, and tried to come to grips with African American slavery. It is time for the West to confront an entirely separate, equally devastating enslavement we have long failed truly to see.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; First Edition (April 12, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0547640986
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0547640983
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.46 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 894 ratings

About the author

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Andrés Reséndez
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I worked in various capacities in Mexico City where I grew up--the best job I ever had was as a historical consultant for telenovelas (soap operas). After getting a PhD in history at the University of Chicago, I taught at Yale, the University of Helsinki, and UC Davis. I have written about the history of border regions (Changing National Identities at the Frontier--Cambridge University Press, 2005), early European exploration (A Land So Strange--Basic Books, 2007), and the enslavement of Native Americans (The Other Slavery--Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016). More recently, I have focused on the "Columbian moment" in the Pacific, beginning with the first expedition that went from America to Asia and back (1564-1565), transforming the Pacific into a space of contact and exchange (Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery--Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021). These days I am researching the fallout from that venture. Just as Columbus's voyages triggered a major transfer of plants, animals, and germs across the Atlantic, so did the opening of the Pacific created a biological corridor across the largest ocean on Earth with very significant but little-understood consequences for the world.

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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Customers say

Customers find the book provides good information and deep insights into slavery. They describe it as an interesting, engaging read with well-written writing. Many readers find the story heartbreaking and emotional, describing it as a scholarly approach to a tragic untold story.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

46 customers mention "Information quality"42 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's well-researched and informative content. They find it provides deep insights into slavery's history and provides an important resource for history enthusiasts. The author presents evidence objectively and rationally, providing a fascinating explanation of the institutions of enslavement.

"This author provides an incredible history of those involved in the slavery, of all sorts of indigenous peoples!..." Read more

"The author tackles a tough subject for deep insights into the variations of enslaving indigenous and other groups from the time of early exploration..." Read more

"...of this Americas would find this book extremely useful it is well researched and well written and introduces a topic that begs for further research." Read more

"...Great job professor! I will recommend your book to my students" Read more

35 customers mention "Readability"35 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They say it's an excellent read and a must-read for anyone interested in Southwest history. The author is described as a gifted storyteller with beautiful writing skills.

"...A gem of a book. Staying with me, for the rest of my life...." Read more

"The author tackles a tough subject for deep insights into the variations of enslaving indigenous and other groups from the time of early exploration..." Read more

"Reséndez does a splendid and detailed historical retelling of the enslavement of the peoples of the New World by Spaniards...." Read more

"well worth your time and the mere $2.99 price tag. "Americans had them too, from the governor down...." Read more

19 customers mention "Writing quality"16 positive3 negative

Customers find the writing quality good and readable. They say it's a smooth read without being bogged down by academics. The book is considered a must-read for Latinos and Hispanics.

"...would find this book extremely useful it is well researched and well written and introduces a topic that begs for further research." Read more

"...The Other Slavery is a brilliantly written book about the often overlooked topic of coerced labor among Native Americans...." Read more

"...of statistical and narrative data into a comprehensible but readable record...." Read more

"...Indian Enslavement in America” by Andrés Reséndez, to be an exceptionally well-written and well-researched book...." Read more

7 customers mention "Eye opening"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book illuminating and eye-opening.

"...widespread. This book was an eye opening account and especially eye opening account and especially surprising that as a Graduate in American..." Read more

"Definitely an eye-opener...." Read more

"...emphasis on Mexico and what became the western U.S. This was a real eye-opener for me - particularly the emphasis on the depopulation by enslavement..." Read more

"...I have not yet completed the book, but so far it is a real eye opener." Read more

7 customers mention "Heartbreaking story"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the scholarly approach to a tragic untold story. The book covers a serious topic with plenty of information and background.

"...Well-written, engaging, but scholarly approach to heartbreaking topic...." Read more

"This book offers a powerful, research-rich history of a tragic untold story that is foundational to the history of our country and its mythologies...." Read more

"...Thank goodness my introduction to this complex and emotional subject was guided by a superb researcher, gifted storyteller, and a master of..." Read more

"Great book about a sad chapter in our history. Good writing on a serious topic with lots of information and back-story." Read more

Left out of history books
5 out of 5 stars
Left out of history books
Although difficult to read at times, this book was one of the most eye-opening I've ever read. I thought I knew the history of slavery in America.....I thought I knew the history of our government's treatment of Indigenous people in America. This book showed me I knew nothing. Amazing. Superbly researched. This book tells the other side of the story......a must read for anyone who wants to understand why history belongs to those who write it.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2024
    This author provides an incredible history of those involved in the slavery, of all sorts of indigenous peoples! Of people from Africa & Mexico, of Native Americans. To serve the families of slave holding and "assigned working duties" and horrible, unsafe "jobs" to make more money, for the rich. It is sickening to know but I feel responsible to know the truth. I can not stick my head in the sand or deny facts and truth. And I have a passion and deep curiosity to history. This book takes me there. The cruelty of men and women to fellow humans, at all costs. It breaks my heart. And I read in sections and chapters, at a sitting. Sometimes I have to re-read it, as it impacts me so. Want to know why the Republicans are still harping on immigration "at our border"? It hasn't resolved for centuries! And this caste system is still alive and thriving. You'd 🤔 we'd be more evolved. (But hell no.) Geography and geological resources has demanded human consumption and greed. The maps are helpful but could be labeled a bit more clearly. Cape Verde was a culprit and far more ruthless than I imagined. Mexico had far more indigenous people that were captured and traded, maneuvered around, for silver mining. I spent hours looking at the maps to figure out where mines and people were matched to slave and mine holders. Then I would read more and need to sit with it to process. Maybe one good thing from these authoritarian examples shows me how important democracy issues of today, in America, is. We must look back in history to see how we are repeating history or denying history, which is very troubling. It's a long process to get through this book, much like social history books of World War II. We've never been short on cruelty, brutality, destroying people's, cultures, genocide ... The lack of humanity and spilling blood. The hating and "using" of others. We better wake up and put a stop to this. It's still going on today, around this world ... No wonder he won an award for writing this. Probably some fearful person will figure out that this is a "dangerous book" and try to get it banned, if it isn't already. Facts matter and historians help us to wake us, to wake us up to that. A gem of a book. Staying with me, for the rest of my life.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024
    The author tackles a tough subject for deep insights into the variations of enslaving indigenous and other groups from the time of early exploration to the present.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2024
    The Other Slavery is a history of the Native American slave trade in the Americas. The author argues that while it was overshadowed by the transatlantic African Slave Trade, the Native American slave trade started much earlier, lasted longer and was more widespread.
    This book was an eye opening account and especially eye opening account and especially surprising that as a Graduate in American History , I had never heard any of this before. One reason for this,the author argues, is that the Native American trade was less formal and was often done on the black market. Despite this the Native American slave trade was a major contributor to the decline of the Native population in the New World. In school we are taught that disease was the major factor in the decline in the Native American population. Through meticulous research the author puts the lie to this myth turning conventional wisdoms on its head. Using the records of the Spanish explorers he shows that capturing Natives for the slave trade was a policy from the very beginning and predated the African Slave trade. Anyone wanting more complete picture of the early history of this Americas would find this book extremely useful it is well researched and well written and introduces a topic that begs for further research.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2017
    Andrés Reséndez introduces the concept of the other slavery, which is an illicit system of slavery present in the Americas that emerged in the days of Columbus and has continued to exist in a variety of forms to this day. He argues that “the other slavery had been a defining aspect of North American societies” (8). Reséndez also makes the case that mass slavery, rather than disease, is at the heart of the dramatic decline in the population of indigenous people across the continent.

    In The Other Slavery, Reséndez manages to tie together many seemingly unconnected sources in order to portray a vast system of slavery that developed primarily in the territories of the Spanish Empire and spread into what is today’s American Southwest. The most remarkable aspect of this system of slavery is that it was technically illegal. “Formal slavery was replaced by multiple forms of informal labor coercion and enslavement that were extremely difficult to track, let alone eradicate” (320). Reséndez also blames slavery on the disappearance of Natives throughout most of America. “Slaving raids spread germs and caused deaths; deceased slaves needed to be replaced, and thus their deaths spurred additional raids” (6).

    Multiple Spanish monarchs, starting with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, all made an attempt to emancipate Natives. Legislation such as the New Laws of 1542, the Indian Act of 1850, the 13th Amendment, and the Peonage Act of 1867 were all intended to protect Native Americans, but each time a new law was passed, slavers found ways to keep their trade going. In the words of Reséndez, “those who benefit from forced labor will always find ways to get around the law” (320). A California law argued that “Indians were free, but they were not free to be idle,” and thus “compelled Natives to work for their own good” (265). The repartimiento, ecomienda, and debt peonage systems all were methods of keeping the practice of slavery alive. Reséndez characterizes the slavers as cold-hearted capitalists: “they were all entrepreneurs faced with the logistics and financial burdens of outfitting expeditions into remote regions. Captains had to deal with partners, investors, and soldier, all of whom were primarily concerned with turning a profit” (99).

    But not all slavers where Europeans. Some of the biggest slavers were the Comanche, Apache and Utes of the plains. After the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, horses began to circulate among the plains Indians, including the Apache, Comanche, and Utes, and thereby gained a strategic advantage over surrounding tribes who did not have horses, like the Paiutes. The Apache, Comanche and Utes would assault these other groups and take their captives to white settlers, such as New Mexicans and Mormons, as trade fodder. Sometimes, influenced by legislation, settlers would refuse these Native slavers. The slavers would proceed to torture and kill their prisons. Pressured by guilt, and perhaps greed, the settlers would buy the slaves, justifying their purchase as an act of mercy.

    The Other Slavery is a brilliantly written book about the often overlooked topic of coerced labor among Native Americans. Reséndez effectively illustrates how the other slavery was a critical component of colonial economies. This work could have been better had Reséndez make the connection between mobility and slavery more explicit. Additionally, although Reséndez makes the connection between slavery and capitalism clear, he does little to explain how the economic philosophy may have placed political pressure on leaders who sought to abolish the trade, and forced them to leave holes in their legislation.
    25 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
    Reséndez does a splendid and detailed historical retelling of the enslavement of the peoples of the New World by Spaniards. He also covers Spain's enslavement of Philippinos/-as in addition to mentioning African slavery which existed alongside Native American slavery for decades. Recommended reading.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Dr Steve Carr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Focusses on slavery in the Southwest under the Spanish
    Reviewed in Canada on July 15, 2021
    Very enlightening on an underappreciated aspect of European colonialism. I was hoping for more information on the practice of Indigenous enslavement in the English colonies in the future US & Canada. Evidence suggests that as early as the Norse settlement ca. 1000 CE, Indigenous people were taken as slaves back to Europe (e.g., Iceland). French / English colonials post-Contact had very different attitudes on related matters, how did this all go down?
  • james king
    5.0 out of 5 stars Shocking, addictive and informative.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 22, 2021
    This is a very well written and extremely informative book. It covers a very wide period and shows very little bias.
    A slave trade that the majority of people barely know anything about. It’s a must read.
  • Rilla7
    5.0 out of 5 stars Read my review
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2021
    Great book, but I’m putting up this review to warn people about how rubbish Amazon prime have been, they are a waste of money. Please consider not using prime
  • claire kuyuate
    4.0 out of 5 stars Arrived water damaged
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2021
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    claire kuyuate
    4.0 out of 5 stars Arrived water damaged
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2021

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  • thomas o'connell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 30, 2017
    Great Book