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From what I know, the abolition movement gained traction in the second half of the 18th century, mainly among British activists. In 1834, slavery was abolished in all British colonies. This was 30-40 years before the US ended the institution of slavery. I know that some historians contend that the compromise of the newly republic was to uphold slavery. So is it fair to conclude that slavery would have ended earlier had the mainland remained in the hands of the British?
The simply answer is yes but I think its more complicated than that.
Assuming the South would have STILL generated substantial wealth from slavery ie. cotton, the core facts that motivated the South's staunch position on slavery would have likely had a lot of support in England because many of the English elite would have been profiting from Cotton as well. Its safe to assume that many of not most of the Southern plantation would have been owned by English elite who could have had enough political clout to keep slavery alive in the Colonies, especially the South long after it was abolished else where.
Best answer is "maybe". Greed is always a factor that should be considered. Perhaps they would have ordered the slaves to be freed, perhaps they would have made exceptions for southern plantations.
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The Cotton Mill workers in Manchester in England actively supported the Unionists and the Abolition of Slavery during the American Civil War, this is despite the war bringing hardship to the Lancashire Mill Towns.
So it was not all about greed.
Quote:
The American Civil War impacted on the livelihood of thousands of textile workers in the north west of England through their connections with the supply of slave-grown cotton.
Although slavery was finally abolished in British colonies of the Caribbean, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Canada and Cape Town in 1838, it continued in other colonies and many other countries including the southern states of the USA (and most of South America).
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was fought largely over the issue of slavery. The fighting was between the states in the ‘Union’ north and 11 states in the ‘Confederate or rebel' south who wanted to separate from the rest of the USA and continue the system of slavery that was so important to their plantation economies.
Enslaved Africans who had escaped to free northern states could be captured and returned to their previous owners. Many such people, for example, William Wells Brown, Henry Box Brown, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, came to Britain to campaign against slavery in America.
Anti-slavery activity was increasing and President Abraham Lincoln was determined to bring an end to slavery. The north blockaded southern ports so goods could not be brought in or out. This meant the export of raw slave-grown cotton dried up. Liverpool traders also suspended trade waiting for prices to increase. This led to the ‘Lancashire cotton famine’ (1862-1863) which was a period of great hardship in the north west of England.
Many thousands of Lancashire mill workers lost their jobs. However, in the face of unemployment and poverty, many people in the Greater Manchester region as well as local politicians, such as John Bright and Richard Cobden, still supported Lincoln’s fight against slavery.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the address and resolutions which you sent me on the eve of the new year. When I came, on the 4th of March, 1861, through a free and constitutional election to preside in the Government of the United States, the country was found at the verge of civil war. Whatever might have been the cause, or whosesoever the fault, one duty, paramount to all others, was_ before me, namely, to maintain and preserve at once the Constitution and the integrity of the Federal Republic.
A conscientious purpose to perform this duty is the key to all the measures of administration which have been and to all which will hereafter be pursued. Under our frame of government and my official oath, I could not depart from this purpose if I would. It is not always in the power of governments to enlarge or restrict the scope of moral results which follow the policies that they may deem it necessary for the public safety from time to time to adopt.
I have understood well that the duty of self-preservation rests solely with the American people; but I have at the same time been aware that favor or disfavor of foreign nations might have a material influence in enlarging or prolonging the struggle with disloyal men in which the country is engaged. A fair examination of history has served to authorize a belief that the past actions and influences of the United States were generally regarded as having been beneficial toward mankind. I have, therefore, reckoned upon the forbearance of nations.
Circumstances -to some of which you kindly allude - induce me especially to expect that if justice and good faith should be practised by the United States, they would encounter no hostile influence on the part of Great Britain. It is now a pleasant duty to acknowledge the demonstration you have given of your desire that a spirit of amity and peace toward this country may prevail in the councils of your Queen, who is respected and esteemed in your own country only more than she is by the kindred nation which has its home on this side of the Atlantic.
I know and deeply deplore the sufferings which the working-men of Manchester, and in all Europe, are called to endure in this crisis. It has been often and studiously represented that the attempt to overthrow this government, which was built upon the foundation of human rights, and to substitute for it one which should rest exclusively on the basis of human slavery, was likely to obtain the favor of Europe. Through the action of our disloyal citizens, the working- men of Europe have been subjected to severe trials, for the purpose of forcing their sanction to that attempt.
Under the circumstances, I cannot but regard your decisive utterances upon the question as an instance of sublime Christian heroism which has not been surpassed in any age or in any country. It is indeed an energetic and re-inspiring assurance of the inherent power of truth, and of the ultimate and universal triumph of justice, humanity, and freedom.
I do not doubt that the sentiments you have expressed will be sustained by your great nation; and, on the other hand, I have no hesitation in assuring you that they will excite admiration, esteem, and the most reciprocal feelings of friendship among the American people. I hail this interchange of sentiment, therefore, as an augury that whatever else may happen, whatever misfortune may befall your country or my own, the peace and friendship which now exist between the two nations will be, as it shall be my desire to make them, perpetual.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Submitted by Capt. Gary Holman, Federal Staff
Statue of Abraham Lincoln - Manchester, England
Last edited by Brave New World; 06-08-2016 at 08:15 AM..
Best answer is "maybe". Greed is always a factor that should be considered. Perhaps they would have ordered the slaves to be freed, perhaps they would have made exceptions for southern plantations.
Agreed.
Colonial governors were offering freedom to slaves who would fight for the British during the early part of the Revolution. Most of them ended up in Canada.
Britain may have been offering freedom, but they also loved American cotton and tobacco. Those crops were heavily involved in the financial status of the southern states.
Best answer is "maybe". Greed is always a factor that should be considered. Perhaps they would have ordered the slaves to be freed, perhaps they would have made exceptions for southern plantations.
I think they would have banned out right slavery as they historically did in their Carribean possessions.
But, banning outright slavery would not close the middle road: Ok, slavery is banned and the former slaves are now semi free uhmm.... bonded "contract workers"- whose contracts are very long term. Then factor in the concept of Jim Crow mixed with inherited debts to ensure that most "contracts" are passed along to the next generation of semi free contract holders.
If anybody complains to Parliament about the practices, they just answer that the U.S. south is an autonomous area and thus local laws, so long as slavery is still officially banned, are given alot of leeway.
No WAY!
How many cotton plantation are in the UK? Slavery was abolished by UK because, by losing it's US colonies, it lost it's agricultural industries and thus the foundation for slavery.
The abolisionist movement is correlated to those areas where there is no financial incentive to the use of slave labor - the northeast of the US, Canada, and UK. The economy of the southern US in contrast was based on agriculture. Abolishing slavery was easy and painless for the UK in the 1830s, they had Jamaica which was already racked with revolts. But for the UK to create a law and then impose that on it's colonies: 1.) The financial penalty would be to great, 2.)It would require a war as it did with the US civil war.
Perhaps the institution of slavery would last longer, as it did in Brazil.
Britain still had colonies throughout the carribean that had industries dependent upon on slaves.
Infact they had to finanically compensate slave owners massively for their financial losses.
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