Gender, Poison, and Slavery in the Atlantic World, 1677-1865

FAIN: FT-291487-23

Erin Austin Dwyer
Oakland University (Rochester, MI 48309-4402)

Writing a book on slavery and poison in the Atlantic World.

Poison has been called “a woman’s weapon” in fiction and historical records. During a poisoning crisis in Martinique an official noted that “poison is the weapon of the weak, employed by slaves, women and children.” He meant that poison was cowardly, but I argue that poison was a tool for disempowered people who could not resort to open, physical force. “Gender, Poison, and Slavery in the Atlantic World, 1677-1865" focuses on enslaved people accused of poisoning, their fears, motives, and hopes. Enslaved women were disproportionately charged with the crime, often as revenge for sexual violence, so the chapter examines the role of gender in accusations and convictions, including when enslaved couples conspired together to poison an owner or overseer. Comparing examples from the United States and the Caribbean demonstrates the intersection of emotional, sexual, and gendered politics that lies at the core of poisoning cases in the Atlantic World from 1677 to 1865.