in the Journal of Early American History
This article examines how shifting sovereignties shaped the slavery system of Demerara and Essequibo between 1745 and 1817. Building on the concept of “borderless societies,” it argues that, under Dutch rule, these colonies were already characterized by legal ambiguity, weak metropolitan oversight, and a diverse population occupying fluid social positions. Practices such as half freedom, flexible labor arrangements, and negotiated privileges reflected a system in which authority was not consistently imposed but continuously adapted. The transition to British rule did not replace this system but reconfigured it. By maintaining key elements of Dutch law while introducing new forms of bureaucratic control, the British transformed these relatively permeable colonies into more regulated and bounded spaces. Increased oversight of mobility, labor, and legal access restricted the mobility of Afro-Guyanese populations, even as institutions such as religion and marriage offered new, if limited, avenues for negotiation. The article highlights how imperial transition reshaped, rather than replaced, existing structures of slavery.
