Originally published on February 26, 2020 (Episode 148)
Introduction
Between 1870 and 1900, the Congo River basin became “one of the most brutally exploited places on earth.” Traders in slaves and natural resources; explorers; and builders of would-be empires entered it from the west, east, and north. They were Arab, English, Belgian, French, and even occasionally American.
What they entered into was an ecosystem and culture dominated by the Congo River and its navigation, a complex world that was soon irreparably destroyed. Robert Harms, in his new book Land of Tears: The Exploration and Exploitation of Equatorial Africa, does not focus simply on the interlopers into the Congo, or what happened after they entered, but on what existed before their arrival. Nor does he allow villains to be easily chosen; it is soon clear that even those with the best of intentions in the Congo ended up assisting in villainy.
About the Guest
Robert Harms is the Henry J. Heinz Professor of History and African Studies at Yale University. He has written widely on African history and the slave trade both from and within Africa. His works include The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Slave Trade and River of Wealth, River of Sorrow: The Central Zaire Basin in the Era of the Slave and Ivory Trade, 1500–1891.
For Further Investigation
Robert Harms, Land of Tears: The Exploration and Exploitation of Equatorial Africa
Related reading: Adam Hochschild, King Leopold’s Ghost
The Yale Department of History Faculty page for Robert Harms
Listen and Discuss
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