This work investigates how the integration of Old Calabar into the international maritime economy between 1600 and 1891 fundamentally altered its traditional social and political structures. A. J. H. Latham utilizes extensive archival records and trade data to analyze the transition from the slave trade to the palm oil trade. The author argues that these economic shifts necessitated significant internal adaptations, ultimately reshaping the power dynamics of the Efik society as they navigated global market pressures.

Historians frequently cite this text as a foundational study for understanding the economic history of the Bight of Biafra. Scholars note the clarity with which Latham connects micro-level trade fluctuations to macro-level societal change.