Inheriting slavery : making sense of a difficult heritage

Catalani, A; Ackroyd, T

Abstract

In 1807 the British parliament decreed the abolition of the slave trade: since then, the places connected with the slave trade have physically ‘inherited’ its material
traces and have become emotionally-charged with historical memory. This paper looks at the material inheritance of slavery and the challenges of its interpretation
in historical sites, through the use of sound. Specifically, the paper focuses on the Clifton National Heritage Park, an old slave plantation in Nassau (New Providence Island, Bahamas), and its interpretation via soundscapes. We will argue that the inheritance of slavery, as cultural trauma and collective memory, is ‘a form of remembrance’ that impact on identity formation: this can be interpreted, re-appropriated and attributed new meanings, for the benefits of both local and non-local communities.

Citation

Catalani, A., & Ackroyd, T. (2013). Inheriting slavery : making sense of a difficult heritage. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 8(4), 337-346. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2013.766199

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 29, 2012
• Online Publication Date: Feb 14, 2013
• Publication Date: Feb 14, 2013
• Deposit Date: Dec 5, 2012
• Journal: Journal of Heritage Tourism
• Print ISSN: 1743-873X
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 337-346
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2013.766199
• Keywords: Heritage, Interpretation, Slavery, Soundscapes, Diaspora
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2013.766199
• Related Public URLs: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rjht20/current