Kirjailijakuva
4 teosta 118 jäsentä 1 Review

Tekijän teokset

Merkitty avainsanalla

Yleistieto

Sukupuoli
male

Jäseniä

Kirja-arvosteluja

This very readable book looks at how the shadow of slavery remains with us today, notwithstanding movements in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, the Americas and Africa.

Whilst the headlines were to the effect that legislative changes brought slavery to an end, what was often introduced what might be called gradual or deferred emancipation. That is, taking Rhode Island and Vermont as examples (pp 18-22) those previously regarded as enslaved were legally 'free' but required to pay their enslavers compensation for loss of their 'property rights' as to the enslaved. This inevitably took the form of compulsory non-remunerated service by the former enslaved for many years, in some cases for decades. Children born to the enslaved, were also technically 'free' but were also required to provide similar service until into their 20s.

Haiti, previously known as Saint-Domingue, was for a time controlled by France. It had many plantations, serviced by the enslaved, predominantly from Africa. In 1804 became one of the few colonialised countries which has ever broken free due to the uprising of its people. France saw the writing on the wall and over the following decades, conceded control to Haiti's people. But such was not the end of the story.'The nations of North America and Europe would not officially engage with haiti as a sovereign nation until France had "emancipated" it...' (p 45). And France would not emancipate Haiti unless and until Haiti had compensated France for the losses it incurred as a result of its loss of 'property rights' (not just the enslaved, but plantations, businesses etc), France having already paid compensation to its citizens for similar losses (and continued to pay such compensation to such people and their ancestors until 1911). In the end, notwithstanding Napoleon in 1803 forgiving any debt, France in 1825 indicated it was willing to concede control /sovereignty provided Haiti agreed to pay France an indemnity of some 15M francs (approx $37 today [presumably US$] and to reduce customs duties on French imports by 50%. Haiti agreed but quickly defaulted on payments. In 1838, a new arrangement was negotiated, under which the indemnity was reduced to 90M Francs,but addition bank fees of some 75M francs were incurred. Whilst Haiti paid off the principal by 1893 (some 55 years later) it continued to pay interest and other fees until the 1950s. As much as 80% of Haiti's revenues went to paying off these debts. (p64)

Many British citizens enslaved people around the world.'Close to a million African people lived under British domination in the decade before the American Revolution.' (p69) As slavery was brought to an end, albeit in the less than optimal means described, Britain paid 'compensation' to those citizens over decades. [TBC]
… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
bigship | Nov 23, 2022 |

Palkinnot

Tilastot

Teokset
4
Jäseniä
118
Suosituimmuussija
#167,490
Arvio (tähdet)
½ 4.4
Kirja-arvosteluja
1
ISBN:t
18

Taulukot ja kaaviot