Transoceanic Networks
Oceans have facilitated the connections between human societies across the world by making the flows of goods, ideas, and political values possible. From the rise of maritime empires to the persistence of colonial legacies in the modern world, the ocean has been instrumental in enabling these global events. The interconnectedness of human societies across the ocean is explored by Shilliam 2015, who examines the resonances between the struggles of the African Diaspora and the experiences of South Pacific peoples. In 2016, Shilliam further elaborates on this argument, particularly concerning the relationships between the Māori, Pasifika, and African peoples in the context of colonial struggles. The ocean also played a central role in facilitating slave trades, as Gilroy 1995 mentions in his book on the cultural history of Black people across the Atlantic world, focusing on slavery, colonialism, and the racialized notions central to European thinking during the Enlightenment. Furthermore, Horne 2007 introduces the concept of “blackbirding” in his writing, describing the practice of forcing and abducting laborers from Pacific islands. While Rupprecht 2019 examines the 1841 mutiny on board the United States brig Creole, and situates it within larger Black Atlantic networks and maritime resistance against slavery.
The ocean’s role in facilitating the exchange of political ideas and connections is also highlighted in work by Rodgers 2000, who discusses the transatlantic exchange of social reform ideas between Europe and the U.S. from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Similarly, the work edited by Krabbendam and Thompson 2012, captures the development of the modern transatlantic relationship between the U.S. and Europe, with special emphasis on Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency as a significant part of this process. In addition, Nolan 2012 explores the historical dynamics of the U.S. and Europe during the “long” twentieth century through a transatlantic perspective. Finally, Hanhimäki 2021 delves further into the transatlantic relationship in his work, focusing on how countries, institutions, and economies across the Atlantic have prospered and become more interconnected since the end of the Cold War.
Books
In this book, Gilroy delves into the idea of the “Black Atlantic world,” a place where the histories and political cultures of dispersed African, Caribbean, and American peoples influence Black identities. He also discusses how the slave trade across the Atlantic Ocean allowed for cultural contacts that shaped the cultural development of Black people who were dispersed across different places.
Hanhimäki introduces the concept of “Pax Transatlantica,” which challenges the understanding that transatlantic relations are in decline. Instead, he argues that ties between the United States and Europe have grown stronger over the past three decades and will likely continue to do so. Within a broad historical and thematic framework, he emphasises important subjects, like politics, economics, and security. Key historical events, like 9/11, the Great Recession, Brexit, and the Covid-19 outbreak are used to illustrate how transatlantic alliances remain resilient despite the challenges and tensions.
Horne engages with topics that are tied to the historical events in the Pacific during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where labor, imperialist ideologies, and racial politics were all connected. He also looks at how bonded labour practices like blackbirding were used by the United States and many Pacific countries, such as Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii, to support economic growth. He discusses how the political aspect of the area was impacted by the growth of imperialism and white supremacy.
The book employs a chronological approach, and highlights Roosevelt’s remarkable cultural connections with Europe. His proactive diplomatic approach positioned the United States to be more engaged in international affairs, which in turn influenced future American foreign policy and the transatlantic networks.
In this book, Nolan covers a wide range of topics, including diplomacy, economic partnerships, and social as well as cultural exchanges involved in the transatlantic relationship. Nolan traces this relationship from the late 19th century, through the major historical events like the world wars, the postwar period, and into the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She shows how America rose to power and Europe declined, and extends the timeline into the late 20th century, when American power weakened, followed by how different countries in the Atlantic took separate sociopolitical paths.
According to Rodgers, American social politics were influenced by European innovations through their connection facilitated by “brokers” like intellectuals and policymakers. The book shows how European ideas influenced the United States reforms in areas like social insurance, urban planning, and workers’ rights. Through this perspective, Rodgers reframes U.S. social policies as the result of international collaboration rather than solely domestic developments.
Shilliam examines how African diaspora and South Pacific people have integrated the ideologies of the African Diaspora into their fights against colonialism and racism. Drawing from extensive interviews, archival research, and participation in activism, the book stresses the interconnected struggles of colonized communities in the Pacific.
Articles
In this piece, Shilliam insists on Oceania as a vital geographical and cultural space that is fundamentally integral to understanding the historical and contemporary relationships among colonized peoples, their shared experiences, and their interactions.
The 1841 mutiny on board the United States brig Creole underlines the legal and diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Britain, because the U.S. wanted compensation for what they viewed as the illegal seizure of its enslaved people. This event signals a wave of resistance during the Age of Revolutions and shows an important space for which enslaved people demonstrated political dissent and solidarity.