White Cargo

The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America

By: Don Jordan, Michael Walsh

Narrated by: Roger Clark

White Cargo is the forgotten story of the thousands of Britons who lived and died in bondage in Britain's American colonies.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, more than 300,000 white people were shipped to America as slaves. Urchins were swept up from London's streets to labor in the tobacco fields, where life expectancy was no more than two years. Brothels were raided to provide "breeders" for Virginia. Hopeful migrants were duped into signing as indentured servants, unaware they would become personal property who could be bought, sold, and even gambled away. Transported convicts were paraded for sale like livestock.

Drawing on letters crying for help, diaries, and court and government archives, Don Jordan and Michael Walsh demonstrate that the brutalities usually associated with black slavery alone were perpetrated on whites throughout British rule. The trade ended with American independence, but the British still tried to sell convicts in their former colonies, which prompted one of the most audacious plots in Anglo-American history.

©2007 Don Jordan and Michael Walsh (P)2019 Tantor

Own the book, glad to find the Audio version

To me this is a story that needs to be told over and over again. Let us not forget the past. I would have preferred a different narrator. I understand the pic of the narration being the content of the book. But for me he was sometimes hard to understand.

fascinating history

fascinating history that I've never read/heard before and should be listed in the history classes taught in primary schools in the united states.
points deducted for introduction.
so America was also like Australia with England dumping its convicts?? who knew!!

I didn't like the narrator

Eye opener about how the Irish and young of Britain were sentenced to the "new land" (US), kidnapped and or sold as indentured slaves in the 17th and 18th century. This was before slaves were brought from Africa. Many were children and woman. Street urchins, homeless and criminals were all game to be sent on these slave ships. Sadly, many died on the voyage. Many died from just the hard work they did for their new masters. The people taking them on the ships were getting rich by not only money but by land!
I did not care for the narrator of this book. The voice was very boring to me.
I was bored in several sections but this on the whole was interesting.

Forgotten History that is Much Needed

As a descendant of an indentured servant I found this incredibly interesting. Nothing you’ll hear in a modern school and that is a shame.

interesting read!

Interesting read that covers a generally overlooked portion of American history. Great info and a lot of research was done for this book!