“Black Tudors” definitely expanded my horizons when it comes to Early Modern England. I will admit I did not know much about people of color’s presence and experience in Europe at this time. I really think this book is crucial for overcoming the silences imposed on these narratives and getting a better understanding of Tudor England in regards to the intersectionality of race, religion, and gender.

My only concern is that there was a lot of speculation in the gaps between sources. I would’ve preferred her stating “it is possible that” rather than “we can assume that.” I like to have concrete evidence prior to assumptions, but that may just be bias from my line of work!

I agree with your review that Kaufmann writes in a format that allows for people other than academics to appreciate her work. While reading the book I could not put it down. The stories that she was able to tell about people of color in Tudor England were very captivating. The organization of the book is very fluid and allows for readers to easily move between the individuals in question. She also provides a broad spectrum of people in England. She includes individuals from the Court of Henry VIII to men and women who were able to carve out a career for themselves. These stories bring to light some of the experiences of people of color in Tudor England. Before reading this book I did not know what life was like for these people. After reading, I have come to understand that people of color could make lives for themselves in Tudor England. Overall, I believe that this book is perfect for people to understand some of the lives of people of color in Tudor England.

As seen with the first story about John Blanke, her writing was like a master class on how to do a microhistory on an individual who had little to no personal sources to draw upon. Continuing with the instance of Blanke, in contrast with Immigrant England, Kaufmann demonstrates how those brief mentions of elusive people can weave together to offer a personalized approach about people who are often elusive to locate in the records. Of course, these books had two different purposes, but, still, the comparison of the two works highlights that drawing upon brief mentions in tax or marriage records can contribute to the reconstruction of a specific person’s past or provide an overview of a larger group (29).

NOTE: Formatting in my comment above didn’t survive the cut and paste to the course blog.

The text following “… so her thesis abstract is relevant to our book as well” through “…Stuart England must now look elsewhere.” was intended to be a block quote.

Also, the last sentence in the block quote (see below) was intended to be bold to add emphasis.

Those scholars who have sought to place the origins of racial slavery in Elizabethan and early Stuart England must now look elsewhere. [Emphasis added]

Yes to these recommendations! I loved these books, but should say that Venus Noire is very deep. Be aware that some of the content is heavy and you will need a chance to walk away at times. They are stories that need to be told though and Mitchell handles it so well

Black Tudors was based on Kaufmann’s 2011 Oxford dissertation, “Africans in Britain: 1500-1640,” so her thesis abstract is relevant to our book as well.
This study of Africans in Britain 1500-1640 employs evidence from a wide range of primary sources including parish registers, tax returns, household accounts, wills and court records to challenge the dominant account, which has been overly influenced by the language of Shakespeare’s Othello and other contemporary literature. I explain the international context of growing trade and increased diplomatic relations with Africa and a concomitant increased level of contact with Africans in the Atlantic world. I then explore the ways in which Africans might come to Britain. Some travelled via Europe in the entourages of royals, gentlemen or foreign merchants; some came from Africa to train as trade factors and interpreters for English merchants; large numbers arrived as a result of privateering activity in which they were captured from Spanish and Portuguese ships. Once in Britain, they were to be found in every kind of household from those of kings to seamstresses. Some were entirely independent, some poor, though few resorted to crime. They performed a wide range of skilled roles and were remunerated in the same mix of wage, reward and gifts in kind as others. They were accepted into society, into which they were baptized, married and buried. They inter-married with the local population and had children. Africans accused of fornication and men who fathered illegitimate children with African women were punished in the same way as others. The legacy of villeinage coupled with the strong rhetoric of freedom in legal and popular discourse ensured that Africans in Britain were not viewed as slaves in the eyes of the law. Neither were they treated as such. They were paid wages, married, and allowed to testify in court. Those scholars who have sought to place the origins of racial slavery in Elizabethan and early Stuart England must now look elsewhere. [Emphasis added]

Her thesis, unsurprisingly, is more academic (It has the usual scholarly apparatus—including an extensive bibliography—that is omitted from her book). The dissertation examines the African presence in England in a much more focused way than in her book. The long thesis abstract summarizes each chapter. If you are interested in Kaufmann’s arguments I encourage you to read the longer abstract and skim her thesis. Her Conclusion is a short 9 pages, but it sharpens the point highlighted above. “If, therefore, slavery and racism were not imported into Virginia and the other early English colonies from England, we will have to ask how they emerged. Explanations will need to focus on the peculiar circumstances of society in the early colonies, not on the psychological “blackness within‟ ascribed to Tudor and Stuart Englishmen.” Her reference is to historiographical arguments anchored by WD Jordan’s 1968 White Over Black and VM Vaughan’s 1997 “Before Othello” (WMQ, 54, no. 1).

The dissertation is available through the GMU Database: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. This link may take you there: https://www.proquest.com/pqdtglobal?accountid=14541 If not, use the Database portal at the GMU library site.

That said, I believe she occasionally asserts more than her “meager” sources can be stretched to support. For example, she asserts “Francis would have known how to equalize and so was able to dive as deep as 90 feet.” (45) This assertion is wholly unsupported. Equalizing is necessary to dive to 90 feet; however, knowing how to equalize does not mean you can reach 90 feet. A diver would need to equalize every few feet after about the first 10 feet. (see PADI Training manual) Further, it may not have been necessary to dive so deeply. The Mary Rose, for example, sank in 42 feet of water so there was no need to dive to 90 feet to salvage her guns. The gun deck may have been much shallower. In the 19th century on Kalymnos, Greek sponge divers propelled by large stones could free dive to 100 feet for about five minutes. (Wikipedia) However, there is no evidence that Francis could do so and that Corsi could not as asserted by the author. There are several other unsupported leaps like this in the book. I see them as unforced errors as there is no need to be so specific other than to tantalize an audience that will accept your assertions without reflection.

The strength of the book is the argument that prior to the growth of the Atlantic slave trade in about 1640, religion and social class distinguished people. Skin tone, while it likely could be a detriment, Anne Cobie’s popularity aside, it was not decisive. (263) As the author put it: “Social class governed society.” (5)
I am not sure how to assess the unfootnoted sections in italics that begin each chapter. These dialogues seem Ms. Kaufman’s pure invention. That’s fine for a popular book, but she does not say so, unless I missed it.