Most African-Guyanese today are descendants of enslaved Africans who were victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. These captives had previously been members of societies which had been distinguished by significant achievements and were able to make a valuable contribution to the land to which they were taken. Themes in African Guyanese History seeks to deal in a balanced way with the history of these forced migrants from the time of their arrival in what were then the Dutch colonies of Essequibo and Berbice to the present day.