Sir Hohn Elliott Lecture in Atlantic History
Defending Dignity: Black Women, Family, and Crafting Testimonies in Colonial Mexico

Since the 1500s, free Black women navigated life while confronting the landscape of slavery in Mexico. Demonstrating their prowess as business owners, matriarchs, and patrons, the histories of Black women in the 17th century underscore the complexity of a gendered history of freedom. The talk will highlight what mattered to them most when they engaged with a state apparatus: the dignity of their families, the paths to economic solvency, and the realities of living in a world where slavery economically enriched or doomed others.
Date: 29 April 2025, 17:00
Venue: Rothermere American Institute, 1A South Parks Road OX1 3UB
Venue Details: Seminar Room
Speaker: Danielle Terrazas Williams (University of Leeds)
Organising department: Rothermere American Institute
Organiser: Justine Shepperson (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: events@rai.ox.ac.uk
Host: Daniel Rowe (Oxford)
Booking required?: Not required
Cost: Free
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Justine Shepperson