Humanitarianism, Empire and Transnationalism, 1760-1995: Selective Humanity in the Anglophone World

This is the first book to examine the shifting relationship between humanitarianism and the expansion, consolidation and postcolonial transformation of the Anglophone world across three centuries, from the antislavery campaign of the late eighteenth century to the role of NGOs balancing humanitarianism and human rights in the late twentieth century. Contributors explore the trade-offs between humane concern and the altered context of colonial and postcolonial realpolitik. They also showcase an array of methodologies and sources with which to explore the relationship between humanitarianism and colonialism. These range from the biography of material objects to interviews as well as more conventional archival enquiry. They also include work with and for Indigenous people whose family histories have been defined in large part by ’humanitarian’ interventions.

Trevor Burnard is Wilberforce Professor of Slavery and Emancipation and Director of the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull Joy Damousi is Professor of History and Director, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Australian Catholic University Alan Lester is Professor of Historical Geography at the University of Sussex and Research Professor in History at La Trobe University