Breaking the Chains

This text explores slavery in the 19th century and offers glimpses into some of the social iniquities of the 20th century. Contributors focus attention on the historical transformation of the Cape Colony during the 19th century. They argue that though this supposedly liberal era may have ended slavery, it also gave birth to new forms of social control which would endure well into the 20th century with the founding of the modern state and the creation of a labour-repressive economy in South Africa.