Aphra Behn's Oroonoko or, the Royal Slave. A true history.

Aphra Behn's Oroonoko or, the Royal Slave. A true history.

Aphra Behn's Oroonoko is one of the earliest examples of the novel genre. Originally published in 1688, this novel employs the first person narritve voice from a female perspective while also working to examine some of the most controversial issues of the 17th  century. Through Behn's account of the realities of life in the English colonies in North America, she exposes the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. This novel also is credited with the begining of the "noble savage" trope. While in the present day this theme is now understood to be a deeply racist view point, in the later part of the 18th centry it was recognized as being a literary concept which lent to  for the abolition of slavery. 

“Aphra Behn's Oroonoko, 1688.” The British Library, The British Library, 5 Dec. 2017, www.bl.uk/collection-items/aphra-behns-oroonoko-1688

The Zong Massacre and Slavery Abolishment

In the Romantic period, which lasted from 1780-1837, slavery was a common thing among the nation of Europe. Amid this period, anti-slavery was able to arise towards the early 1800’s by many activists had great success in accomplishing their goals, helping abolish slavery. Before the abolishment happened, Britain was responsible for transporting millions of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean and being heavily involved with slavery.

In the fall of 1781, Caption Luke Collingwood took himself, his crew and over 400 slaves to voyage from Africa to Jamaica. During this voyage a horrific event took place, the event was named The Zong Massacre because of the ship that it took place on was named Zong. Collingwood overloading the ship with crew members and salves, which was not an uncommon thing for captions to do to make more profit for one trip. While on the water many crew members and slaves developed an illness. This illness was responsible for 17 crew members and over 50 salves deaths. Frantic to make profit from who was left, on 29th of November in the same year, Luke Collingwood threw slaves over 130 salves into the water because of their illness to prevent further spread and therefore lowering his profit. Collingwood's plan was to put a claim in to the insurance to make up for what they loss in human lives but to him it was “goods and property”. 

Collingwood stated “what is this claim that human people have been thrown overboard? This is a case of chattels or good. Blacks are goods and property; it is madness to accuse these well-serving honorable men of murder… the case is the same as if wood had been thrown overboard.” After a case was issued for this massacre that occurred on Zong. This case was developed because of Great Britain’s lead activist at the time, Grantsville Sharp, wanted to draw attention to this event to raise awareness for the anti-slavery movement. Sharp pressed charges against Zong’s owners and caption and the case reached the highest court in Great Britain. Unfortunately, the court favored the insurers and Collingwood got a slap on the wrist for not having enough water for everyone on board of the ship.

In the end, no one took reasonability for the Zong massacre or was brought to justice of the lives who were thrown overboard. The transported slaves were treated at "cargo" and nothing more. Collingwood called it "madness" to be charged for throwing men overboard and killing them, because he did not see the slaves as human people. Eventually, actions were taken by the anti-slavery movement through successful campaigns to abolish slavery throughout the British Empire in 1833.

Bernard, I. (2020, July 29). The Zong Massacre (1781) •. Black Past. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/zong-massacre-1781/. 

Oldfield, J. (2021, February 4). Abolition of the Slave Trade and Slavery in Britain. British Library. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.bl.uk/restoration-18th-century-literature/articles/abolition-of-the-slave-trade-and-slavery-in-britain.

French Revolution

The French Revolution occurred from 5 May 1789 to 9-10 November 1799. Image: Jean-Jacques-François Le Barbier, Representation of The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 26 August 1789 (c. 1789). This work is in the public domain in the United States.

On 5 May 1789, the Estates-General, representing the nobility, the clergy, and the common people, held a meeting at the request of the King to address France’s financial difficulties. At this meeting, the Third Estate (the commoners) protested the merely symbolic double representation that they had been granted by the King. This protest resulted in a fracture among the three estates and precipitated the French Revolution. On 17 June, members of the Third Estate designated themselves the National Assembly and claimed to represent the people of the nation, thus preparing the way for the foundation of the republic. Several pivotal events followed in quick succession: the storming of the Bastille (14 July), the approval of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (26 August), and the march on Versailles that led to the enforced relocation of the royal family to Paris (5-6 October). These revolutionary acts fired the imagination of many regarding the political future of France, and, indeed, all of Europe. The republican period of the revolution continued in various phases until 9-10 November 1799 when Napoleon Bonaparte supplanted the government.

Articles

Diane Piccitto, "On 1793 and the Aftermath of the French Revolution"

Abolition of Slave-Trade

According to the British Library Organization, "In 1807, the British government passed an Act of Parliament abolishing the slave trade throughout the British Empire. Slavery itself would persist in the British colonies until its final abolition in 1838" (par. 1).

Citation?

A History of Mary Prince

Story by Mary Prince, transcribed by Suzanna Strickland, edited by Thomas Pringle

Slavery Abolition Act of 1833

Before one can understand the importance of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, an understanding of how the act came into effect must be acknowledged. The two main political parties at this time in England were the Whigs and the Tories. The Whigs were tied to political liberalism and attached to constitutional monarchy and the rights of Parliament. To sum up the political party, they were for electoral reform. The Tories were opposed to reform. They supported traditional traditional political and social institutions, meaning that they were for the monarchy, nobles, and gentry. To summarize a long history of political parties squabbling for power, the Whigs came back to power during the 1830's. They unified as a political party on the basis of moral reform, specifically, the abolition of slavery. They also campaigned on the horrors of child labor and relief to the poor. Other Acts were passed around the same time as the Slavery Aboliton Act. The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was passed and limited reforms were passed in relation to child labor. So how did many radical changes to Parliament happen in such a short time? The radical change is thanks to The Reform Act of 1832. What this act basically did was take power away from aristocracy. Before the act, elections were controlled by high ranking, very powerful families. The act distributed voting power based on population, adding many new upper and middle class voters to the voting pool. This act gave an immense amount of power to the people. 

So what did the Slavery Aboliton Act do and what is its importance? The Slavery Aboliton Act abolished slavery in all parts of the British empire. More importatly it made the ownership of slaves illegal. However, it didn't make slavery illegal in parts of the British empire that made a lot of money for Britain. The area that still allowed slavery was the East India Company, the countries Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka) and Saint Helena. The Slavery Abolition Act was important because it purchased and freed the slaves currently in captivity, mainly in the Caribbean Sugar Islands. The act was also important because it expanded on the The Slave Trade Act of 1807 and was a success for the growing abolitionist movement and the majority of the people (middle and lower class) in government. Showing that they could and would exercize their right to change parliament and take power away from the aristocracy. 

Slavery Abolition Act 1833. (2020, September 24). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_Abolition_Act_1833

Whigs (British political party). (2020, September 24). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whigs_(British_political_party)

Tories (British political party). (2020, August 29). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tories_(British_political_party)

Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. (2020, August 20). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_Law_Amendment_Act_1834

Reform Act 1832. (2020, October 02). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Act_1832

Slave Trade Act 1807. (2020, September 28). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_Trade_Act_1807