Dormant Sites of Slavery: Transatlantic Ties and Reparatory History in Gloucester

O'Connell, Christian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5546-8389 (2026) Dormant Sites of Slavery: Transatlantic Ties and Reparatory History in Gloucester. In: Britain's Contested Pasts: Divided Memories and Public Heritage. Routledge Studies in Modern British History . Routledge. ISBN 9781041292708 (In Press)

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Abstract

This chapter examines the case study of the English city of Gloucester and a review of its transatlantic slave trade heritage. It discusses a collaboration between the local council, heritage organisations, community representatives, and historians as a form of ‘reparatory history’ following the polarizing events of 2020. Utilising a ‘dialogic’ approach to heritage, the collaborative review revealed a range of heritage links to slavery that tie together empire, colonialism, abolitionism, and the experiences of the enslaved beyond British territories in the Caribbean. The examples of celebrated figures of the city such as George Whitefield and Button Gwinnett, as well as lesser-known figures such as the formerly enslaved Ukasaw Gronniosaw are interpreted as ‘dormant’ sites of heritage. These sites demonstrate that the heritage that has been used to forget and deny Britain’s connections to slavery also contains the means by which these stories can be recovered, even in a city previously unconnected to this history. Furthermore, they also allow the integration of hidden narratives of enslaved agency and resistance. Overall, the chapter makes the case for the enduring significance of the local lens in helping to ‘bring slavery home.’

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	Chapter 1
Related records:	Britain's Contested Pasts: Divided Memor...
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain > DA1 History of Great Britain
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Arts, Culture and Environment
Depositing User:	Anne Pengelly
Date Deposited:	29 Sep 2026 14:51
Last Modified:	30 Sep 2026 08:00
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/16557

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