This work investigates the complex interplay between European colonial expansion and the persistence or transformation of indigenous slavery systems in Africa. Martin A. Klein and Suzanne Miers, both established scholars in African history, compile a series of essays that examine how colonial administrations navigated the abolition of slavery while maintaining economic stability. The authors argue that colonial policies were often contradictory, frequently prioritizing administrative convenience and labor exploitation over the humanitarian goals of emancipation.

Historians and African studies scholars frequently cite this volume as a foundational text for understanding the nuances of colonial labor policies. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the socio-economic structures that defined the colonial era.