T h e 1 8 0 7 -1 8 4 0 p e r i o d
Civi GB 1/
! GENERAL BACKGROUND : ! Changes in the Br economy --> trade expanding at the beginning of the 19th c. Britain was in the throes of industrial revolution (terms not used until the 1870s). ! Br was the only industrialized country in the world. ! Increasing demands for free trade: it was seen as a threat for the slave-based economy (but freetraders were not politically dominant). •
The Corn Laws: guaranteed a certain price for corn to producers.
! The WIs were becoming less impt for Br trade. •
The US supplied more cotton to Br than the WI.
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Increasing role of India: increasing competition btw WI and India for the supply of sugar.
! Politicians were increasingly in favor of a liberal order. ! Diplomatic and military changes: •
1805: Battle of Trafalgar
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1815: Waterloo
= end of wars with Fr meant creation of the Pax Britannica = Br peace. ! From that moment on, Br was the dominant force in Europe. ! Discussions about slavery took place in the context of Br superiority. ! Reforms were demanded (social, political…) •
1819: Peterloo Massacre (formed on model of Waterloo + took place in St Peter’s Field in Manchester): during a peaceful demonstrations for social rights, the police killed many participants.
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1834: another massacre the Tolpuddle Martyrs: 4 men were sent to Australia as a punishment for having created a trade union --> they were accused of being revolutionary.
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1838: People’s Charter written --> Chartism.
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1825: trade unions legalized.
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1828: repeal of the Test & Cooperation Act
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1929: Catholic emancipation > dissenters and Catholics = same rights as Anglicans.
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1932: Gt Reform Act: elections-related.
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1833: Factory Act: limiting child labor
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1844: Poor Law: providing relief for unemployed people --> but workhouses were the only place where they could receive relief.
! A paradoxical period: mix of improvements and things like the Poor Law… ! Impact of the Ind Revolution: it prompted demands for reforms. •
Luddite activity: workers destroying machinery, especially in cotton and woolen mills, because they believed industrialization was threatening their jobs.
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1831: ‘Swing riots’ agst the mechanization of agriculture.
! However, a general sense of progress: standards of living improving. P OST - 1807 SITUATION : ! The Royal Navy was used to patrol the African coast line. Creation in 1808 of the Br West Africa Squadron: aim = suppressing illegal trade. •
If slavers were endangered of being captured by the Squadron, they used to throw slaves overboard so as not to be caught and pay heavy fines.
! 150 000 people were freed in the 50 following years. ! But the ST continued: demands for slaves from Cuba & Brasil. ! Br ports tried to engage in other forms of trade with Africa (ex: palm oil). ! Br also put pressure on foreign govs for them to abolish ST: •
1810: negotiation with Portugal
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1815: at the Congress of Viena, put pressure on Fr, ND, Spain.
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1817: treaty signed btw Br & Sp to end the ST North of the Equator immediately, and South of the E by 1820. + allowed Br to search Sp ships.
! After 1807, people were unsure of what wd really happen. ! Abolitionists thought that planters wd be forced to improve the conditions of the slaves. •
The opposite happened: decreasing slave population. Less people, the same amount of work.
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Process of crealization: gradual disappearance of African-born slaves. Demographic changes. As Africans were seen as disruptive, and slaves born in the WI seen as less disruptive, planters thought that there wd be a decline in violent revolts.
! It was generally thought that slavery wd gradually end of its own accord. !
the majority of abo were moderate. It was only from the 1820s that radical movements emerged.
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From 1807 to 1823 the abo fought for piecemeal reforms: small reforms, gradual change. Not a gt deal of activity for svl reasons:
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1: Pt dominated by Tories, hostile to political change.
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2: 1815-1819: econo depression ==> growth of radical gps.
Social unrest kept slavery out of debates. •
3: most abo believed in gradual emancipation (so that slaves cd learn to cope with freedom).
WW’s 1807 pamphlet, A letter on the abolition of the ST: long process of emancipation necessary, as well as Chr teaching for slaves --> discourse of white superiority. •
4: after the success of 1807, loss of direction. St for Abo of ST dismantled. New orga: the African Institution: they campaigned for the enforcement of existing legislation. Encouraged legitimate trade with Africa.
! 1812: law proposed in Pt by Henry Broughan, lawyer; aim = greater penalties for Br people involved in illegal trading --> law passed. ! 1817: Slave Registration Act: gov encouraged owners to keep registration of their slaves/ The idea of the act was to get a sort of slave census, to regulate & ctrl slavery. Planters opposed the legislation, as they feared it was a step twds emancipation. •
The data collected was interesting because it provided monitoring of mortality, and of increase of decrease of pop (clue to ST continuing?)
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With figures, a shift in emphasis: away from emotional appeal to more documented arguments.
! Importance of religion: mass conversions to Chr in WI. Emergence of black preachers. •
A lack of religion was seen as an obstacle to emancipation --> cultural imperialism of the abo mvt.
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The conversion of many slaves created a bond btw Br dissenters and slaves.
! Increasing religious liberty in England ! repression in WI: Br were made aware of the situation through various revolts. Ideological struggle through pamphlets. •
1816: revolt in Barbados about 100 slaves killed, 144 executed afterwards.
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1823: Demerara revolt: particularly bad conditions in the colony. 250 bl killed, 3 whites killed. Revd John Smith caught up in revolt, found guilty of complicity, died in prison ==> outcry in Br.
! By 1820s, more and more people in Br came around the idea that abo of ST was not enough ==> increasing abo activity. ! 1821: James Cropper founded the Liverpool Anti-Sl Sty. •
Cropper: a Quaker who had business interests in India: had the idea of ending sugar duties, introduced in 1815 (a tax levied on sugar from India, because originally, sugar imported from India was cheaper that sugar from WI). Ending sugar duties as a way of fighting agst slavery (ended WI monopoly) + furthering his perso interests.
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Cropper sought evidence to prove that free labor was cheaper than slave labor. Along with Zachary Macauley, the created the Sty for the Mitigation and Gradual Abo of Slavery throughout the Br dominions = Anti-slavery sty.
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The sty published the accounts of a black woman in 1831, Mary Prince.
! In 1831, more radical elements of the Anti-sl sty created a gp within the sty: the Agency Committee. Wanted immediate emancipation. ! Clarkson started a national tour. He was not in favor of immediate emancipation, he was cautious, he did not want to be accused of planting the seeds of unrest. He wanted to change slaves into peasants. He tried to distance himself from more radical activities (& in a way from Fr revo). •
Sought support of respectable sections of sty ! of those called the rabble/ the mob.
! In 1830s, campaigning was different than 30 years ago: urbanization made it easier to mobilize people as they lived closer to each other. + spreading of literate habits = reading newspapers. ! The abo used moral & econo arguments: they appeared to be in sync with the changing sty. The WI lobby had money & influence, but they were linked to rural conservative Eng ==> out of sync with sty.
! 1823: campaign took off. Gov adapted a policy of amelioration with the eventual aim of abolishing slavery. •
A circular was sent out to governors of WI in 1823 = the Balhurst Circular, which detailed the amelioration policy.
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Gov asked planters to facilitate Chr education, to limit corporal punishment, and banned the selling of slaves to reimburse debts.
! Of course planters resented the policy. They thought that blacks were an inferior race to be kept in their place. They also claimed that the conditions for slaves were better than the conditions of some workers in GB. The WI lobby presented owners as humane individuals. ! 1824: Slave Laws Consolidation Act: banned trade btw WI colonies. ! 1825: end of tariffs on Indian sugar. ! By 1820s, abo were supported by all sections of sty, all political parties, all religious sects. A national cause, perhaps because there was no danger of political or material loss at home, unlike other domestic issues. ! Slavery was seen as unchristian. •
WW wrote in 1823 a tract: An Appeal to the Religion, Justice & Humanity of the Inhabitants
of the British Empire on Behalf of Negro Slaves of WI: huge religious dimension in the tract. •
A moral crusade. As there was such a distance btw Br & colonies, it was easier to emancipate slaves than for US eg.
! Frenetic campaigning. Public lectures. Large crowds attracted. About 3 million tracts from 1823-31. ! Ladies anti-slavery associations created at local level. Imptce of women’s role. ! In the 1820s, predominance of the Tories. Whigs were marginalized ==> little chances of progress. •
1830: elections --> change: 16 out of 35 MPs mbs of WI Interest (lobby) lost their seats.
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1832: Gt Reform Act: more adult men gained right to vote. Reduced nb of rotten boroughs = small constituencies.
! With all these reforms, slavery was not the priority, however abo kept reminding people of the situation: •
Baptists war = famous revolt led by Bl preacher Sam Sharpe.
! 1832: elections; the mbs of the Agency Committee demanded pledges from candidates that they wd vote for abo. Block of 200 MPs who had signed the pledge, but still a lot of sympathizers of planters. ! ==> The debate: q° of compensation. The legislation adopted was a compromise: •
children under 6 to be freed
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apprenticeship for 6 years --> slaves continued to work for planters without wages.
! Br sent 132 magistrates to supervise emancipation: small nb, unable to check evthg. ! Abo pressures continued. ! 1838: complete emancipation. ! After 1838, Br wanted other nations to follow their lead: pride in the idea that Br = lovers of freedom ! 1939: British & Foreign Anti-Slavery Sty created.
