"Slaves and Slaveholders in Bermuda, 1616-1782'', by Virginia Bernhard, Professor of History at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, was recently published by the University of Missouri Press (UMP).

UMP publicity manager Megan Scott said: "Delving into the origins of Bermuda's slavery, its peculiar nature and its effects on blacks and whites, "Slaves and Slaveholders in Bermuda, 1616-1782'' offers a fresh perspective on the complex relationship between racism and slavery in Bermuda, the second oldest English colony in the New World.'' It is based on archival research drawn from wills and inventories, laws and court cases, Governors' reports and council minutes.

The study notes that Bermuda's racial history unfolded differently in comparison to Caribbean islands and the American mainland because of the difference in slavery on the Island compared to slavery elsewhere.

This difference existed "because of the uniquely close master-slave relations created by Bermuda's size and maritime economy'', said Ms Scott.

Slaves and slaveholders in Bermuda worked and lived closer together than in other societies and the emphasis on maritime pursuits offered slaves a degree of autonomy and sense of identity unequalled in other English colonies, said Ms Scott.

This is exemplified by the fewer runaways, less violent rebellions and relatively milder punishment for offending slaves in Bermuda's slavery history.