Expertly and imaginatively transcends the conventional parameters not just of 'Latin American' and of 'Atlantic' history but also of the conceptual conventions of studying 'slavery' itself, as such. Do not miss it."" - Slavery & Abolition""Wheat's innovative and deeply-researched book contributes to a growing body of work aimed at re-conceptualizing the Atlantic World and the roles of African people within it."" - Almanack""Elegantly written and thoughtfully constructed. . . . Scholars interested in the early Spanish Caribbean and the Atlantic world will need to rethink how the two regions were interconnected and how free and unfree Africans created social and economic niches for themselves in their new environments."" - Hispanic American Historical Review""[A] unique view into the archives and into a key but only partially understood early colonial period in this region [that] will interest both scholars of Iberian colonization and imperialism and students learning how to trace western Africa's influence on the Spanish Caribbean."" - The Americas""Because Wheat's capacity to tell such nuanced and new stories is so meticulously buttressed by his sources that it leaves readers wanting him to go even further. . . . A vital contribution to the fields of Black/African history, Caribbean history, and early modern history more broadly."" - Reviews in American History""Extremely well documented and tightly argued. . . . A signal contribution that should reframe scholarly debates about slavery in the Caribbean for some time to come."" - H-Net Reviews""[An] exceptional study that explains a misunderstood period in the early history of post-contact colonies in the Spanish Caribbean. Highly recommended."" - Choice