From Shipmates to Soldiers is a welcome addition to the study of the African diaspora because it extends the geographical boundaries to the Río de la Plata, an area that is known more for its European immigration than its African slavery. Alex Borucki takes on a herculean task to trace African social networks formulated on the slave ships and solidified via cultural and sociopolitical organizations such as confraternities, nations, and the militia to the battlefield brought forward by the long fight for Uruguayan independence. His diverse array of sources—which include slave voyage records, marriage files, notarial and criminal records, and newspapers from Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and the United States—must be commended.
This prolific book makes three major interventions in the fields of the African diaspora in the Americas and slavery. First, it connects the Río de la Plata to Atlantic Africa. This must be highlighted. Although most slaves in...
