The underlying thesis of Lucien Peytraud's 1897 work is that the practice of slavery in the West Indies prior to 1789 was of great economic and material benefit to the islands. He is adamant that the revisionist reading of history, which had only just begun at the time when this book was published, omits to consider this aspect in its treatment of the slave trade. Peytraud gives a broad and detailed account of the French slave trade in the West Indies, during which slaves from the African continent were shipped to both North and South America. He discusses the religion, morality and living conditions of the slaves and admits that it was common for European men to sexually exploit black women. He also addresses the legislation governing slaves, former slaves and slave-holding in the French colonies including the French Caribbean, the so-called Code Noir.