Formaldehyde
Both Fair And Balanced
The point is that this historian comparing slavery in the US to farm workers in England probably wasn't to show that slavery wasn't all that bad. It was to show that workers in England were also mistreated in some comparable ways. That the attitudes of employers in England were somewhat comparable to those of slave owners in the South.
I also suspect that when historians make such comparisons that they have some point they are trying to make. That they aren't just reciting facts they think are related to the subject matter. YMMV.
Granted, if it isn't a children's book they typically don't beat the reader over the head moralizing. But the morals which they are emphasizing are usually quite evident. I seriously doubt this particular historian thought highly of either group of exploiters. But that is just a guess since I haven't read the book. But then again, you don't find too many historians these days who try to rationalize slavery.
I also suspect that when historians make such comparisons that they have some point they are trying to make. That they aren't just reciting facts they think are related to the subject matter. YMMV.
Granted, if it isn't a children's book they typically don't beat the reader over the head moralizing. But the morals which they are emphasizing are usually quite evident. I seriously doubt this particular historian thought highly of either group of exploiters. But that is just a guess since I haven't read the book. But then again, you don't find too many historians these days who try to rationalize slavery.