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David Eltis

デイヴィッド・エルティス

David Eltis

Profile

Gender
Male
Nationality
Canada
Languages
English
Residence History
Canada (Alberta, Ontario, etc.) → United Kingdom (studies/appointments) → United States (Emory University, etc.)

Career

Occupations
Historian, Scholar, Professor
Active Years
1967-2025
Affiliations
Emory University (Professor Emeritus, Robert W. Woodruff Professor), Harvard University, W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute (Research Associate), University of British Columbia (Adjunct/Visiting Professor), Queen's University at Kingston (Professor, 1989–2002), University of Hull (Research Lecturer), Algonquin College (Lecturer in Economics, 1967–1988), Gilder Lehrman Center (Senior Fellow, 2000)

Education

Durham University
Department of History
Degree: BA (Hons)
Year of Graduation: 1962
Country: United Kingdom
BA with honours in History
Dalhousie University
Faculty of Education
Degree: B.Ed.
Year of Graduation: 1965
Country: Canada
Bachelor of Education
University of Alberta
Department of History
Degree: MA
Year of Graduation: 1969
Country: Canada
Master of Arts in History
University of Rochester
Department of History
Degree: PhD
Year of Graduation: 1979
Country: United States
PhD in History

Awards

W. E. B. Du Bois Medal
2025
Organization: Harvard University
Result: 受賞
Elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2015
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Result: 選出（会員）
Louis Gottschalk Prize
2012
Organization: American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
Result: 受賞
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (co-winner)
2011
Work: The Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result: 受賞（共受賞）
James A. Rawley Prize (AHA)
2011
Work: The Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Organization: American Historical Association
Result: 受賞（共受賞）
R. R. Hawkins Award
2011
Work: The Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Organization: Association of American Publishers
Result: 受賞
John T. Hubbell Prize
2008
Organization: Civil War History (journal)
Result: 受賞
Frederick Douglass Prize
2001
Organization: Gilder-Lehrman Institute
Result: 受賞
Trevor Reese Memorial Prize
1990
Organization: Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Economic Growth and the Ending of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

1987 Scholarly book (economic history / slavery)

A scholarly analysis of the ending of the transatlantic slave trade from the perspective of economic growth, notable for combining quantitative data with historical sources.

SlaveryEconomic growthEnd of trade

The Rise of African Slavery in the Americas

2000 Scholarly book (history)

A wide-ranging study of the development and impact of African slavery in the Americas, characterized by comparative regional and long-term perspectives.

Formation of slaveryRegional comparisonColonialism

The Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

2010 Scholarly atlas (maps & data)

An atlas using large-scale data and maps to visualize thousands of slave trade voyages; an important reference for scholars and the public.

Data visualizationMigration historySlave trade routes

Atlantic Cataclysm: Rethinking the Atlantic Slave Trades

2025 Scholarly book (history)

A re-evaluation of the Atlantic slave trades, bringing together recent research and data to reassess prevailing interpretations.

ReassessmentData-driven researchComparative history of slave trades

Bibliography

  • Economic Growth and the Ending of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (1987)
  • The Rise of African Slavery in the Americas (2000)
  • Coerced and Free Migration: Global Perspectives (ed., 2002)
  • Slavery in the Development of the Americas (co-ed., 2004)
  • Extending the Frontiers: Essays on the New Transatlantic Slave Trade Database (ed., 2008)
  • Human Capital and Institutions: A Long-Run View (co-ed., 2009)
  • The Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (2010; 2nd ed. 2025)
  • The Cambridge World History of Slavery (co-ed., 2011, 2021, etc.)
  • From the Galleons to the Highlands: Slave Trade Routes in the Spanish Americas (co-ed., 2020)
  • Atlantic Cataclysm: Rethinking the Atlantic Slave Trades (2025)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Academic, data-driven proseCombines quantitative analysis with archival researchClear and reference-oriented exposition
Recurring Motifs
Economic aspects of slaveryTrajectories of movement and migrationUse of data and digital humanities

Legacy

David Eltis is a leading scholar of the transatlantic slave trade who has significantly contributed to data-driven historical research and the construction of public digital resources such as SlaveVoyages.org. His works are valued as important references combining comparative regional studies and quantitative analysis.

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Fellow)

Archives

  • SlaveVoyages database (moved to Harvard University and other host institutions)
  • Emory University history archives (related holdings)

Trivia

  • Co-developer of SlaveVoyages.org and African-Origins.org.
  • The Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade was first published in 2010; a revised 2nd edition appeared in 2025.
  • Awarded the W. E. B. Du Bois Medal by Harvard University in 2025.