The Book of Negroes Historical Guide

This interactive companion outlines the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and how this is reflected and examined in Lawrence Hill’s award-winning novel and BET Television mini-series, The Book of Negroes.

The six-part BET mini-series follows the life of Aminata Diallo, a young African girl kidnapped by slave traders and brought across the Atlantic to North America. In the course of her long and hard life, Aminata is a witness to major events in the slave trade and the history of Black North Americans.

Over seven chapters, the app provides a timeline of Black history from 1705 to the present day. In addition, it explores the historical grounding of both the novel and series in the original Book of Negroes historical document, which identified Black slaves who fought for the British during the American Revolution.

Using images, videos, and interactive maps, the guide follows the far-reaching impact of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. For educational settings, the guide features optional discussion questions and further investigation of the various topics. An intuitive interface allows users to swipe, tap, and scroll through chapters to engage with interactive features in a linear or nonlinear fashion, and gain a deeper understanding of the historical events portrayed in The Book of Negroes.