Janet J. Ewald

Janet J. Ewald is Associate Professor Emerita of History at Duke University specializing in African history and Indian Ocean studies. Her work explores African participation in global historical currents since 1700.

Education includes:

• Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin, Madison (1982)
• M.A. from University of Wisconsin, Madison (1975)
• B.A. from University of Wisconsin, Madison (1973)

Research examines slavery, labor, and maritime networks in the Greater Nile Valley and northwestern Indian Ocean world. Her book 'Soldiers, Traders, and Slaves' reconstructs responses to empires, commercial capitalism, and slave raiding in frontier zones. Current projects investigate bondsmen, freedmen, and maritime labor.

Grants include support from the Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation for research on Red Sea transport systems. Professional service includes manuscript reviews for Cambridge University Press and tenure evaluations for peer institutions.