EARLY

EMPANCIPATION PROTESTS
IN THE FRENCH In France, the French
CARIBBEAN Revolution echoed the cry
of liberty, equality and
fraternity. The abolition of
slavery by revolution was
announced in 1790. This
early action spurred the
opponents of slavery
especially when slavery
was reinstituted by
Napoleon Emperor
(Emperor of France 1803)
when the Bourbon
Kings were restored in
1815.
 Abolition of the Slave trade Cont'd
IN OTHER FRENCH COLONIES LIKE MARTINIQUE AND GUADELOUPE FREEDOM, WAS
GRANTED TO THE SLAVES BY THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMANDER LÉGER FÉLICITÉ
SONTHONAX AFTER HIS ARRIVAL IN ST. DOMINGUE IN 1792. HOWEVER, SLAVERY WAS
RESTORED AFTER NAPOLEON BECAME RULER OF FRANCE EXCEPT IN ST. DOMINGUE.
THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ABOLISHED THE SLAVE TRADE IN 1818 BUT IN PRACTICE
LITTLE WAS DONE TO PREVENT IT. AS A RESULT, THE TRADE CONTINUED ILLEGALLY
UNTIL 1833 WHEN THE ANGLO-FRENCH RIGHT OF SEARCH AGREEMENT WAS EXTENDED
AND REINFORCED.

THE ABOLITION
OF THE SLAVE
TRADE
In France, the Haitian Revolution was
keenly observed by those for and against
slavery. The slaves in St. Domingue, were
successful in abolishing slavery
themselves, thus resulting in a turning point
in abolition throughout the West
Indies. Despite efforts to retake the island by
the French forces and the
capture of Toussaint, the colony remained
at war. The Haitian blacks declared
independence under Dessalines in 1804 and
the country became the first free
country led by blacks in the Americas.
 AMELIORATION
In the French Caribbean, government officials
By the beginning of the 1830s,
were required to adopt the
the French Government
amelioration measures unlike in the British
decided to introduce measures
Caribbean islands which were
to ameliorate the condition of
self-governing. These measures aroused the
the slaves as a result of the
same kind of resistance from the
numerous slave
planters as they had done in the British
revolts, for example, in
colonies. The French planters who
Martinique 1822, 1824, 1831, and
resisted them had the approval of some of
1834. These measures
the government officials. In France,
were:
public opinion was satisfied with these
measures and so complete emancipation
1. The abolition of the
was demanded. It was influenced by Victor
manumission tax and the
Schoelcher, a business man who had
process of manumission
observed slavery first hand when he visited
simplified.
the French West Indies. He was
2. Registration of all slaves was
deeply affected by the abuse of slavery, so
made compulsory.
when he returned to France he was
3. Branding and mutilation
determined to fight for its abolition.
were prohibited.
About In France in 1834, an abolition
Victor Schoelcher society called La Société pour
l’Abolition de
In 1847, the Society issued a l’Esclavage was formed with
national petition for Victor Schoelcher as the
immediate emancipation. The spokesman. Like Thomas
following year in 1848,
Schoelcher was appointed
Abolition of Clarkson, he was a prolific
writer and pamphleteer. He
Under Secretary for the
colonies and President of a
Slavery published several
writings in favour of immediate
commission on slavery after abolition. He gave public
Louis Philippe, King of lectures on the need
France, was overthrown and a for emancipation and directed
Republic set up in France. a wide petition campaign
About
Victor Schoelcher insisted
La Societe pour
that there is no half way
L'Abolition de
stage between slavery and
L'Esclavage
freedom such as
Unlike the British abolition
movement, La Société pour Apprenticeship.All who
l’Abolition de l’Esclavage was a
rationalist and secular movement
were emancipated
not connected to any religious immediately received full
group. It achieved a minor victory
in 1836 when it was declared that freedom and full French
any slave setting foot in France citizenship
must be set free.
Important Dates
to Remember
1834
The Society for the
Abolition of slavery
was formed
1838
The Society drafted an
emancipation bill but this was
opposed by the West India Interest
in the French Assembly even more
so than in the British Parliament.
1848
Slavery was abolished in
the French Caribbean
REASONS SLAVERY WAS NOT
ABOLISHED IN
THE FRENCH CARIBBEAN UNTIL 1848
Reasons why the
1. The Humanitarian movement French abolished
in France came later than it
did in the British territories or Slavery
in Britain itself. The Society for
1. Victor Schoelcher worked tirelessly
the Abolition of Slavery was
formed in 1834, and even after
that, the Humanitarian
and hard.
2. The work of the Anti-Slavery Society
movement remained
such as its propaganda campaign
relatively weak numerically
against the slave owners which helped
and in fervour when
to win the support for its cause.
compared with the
movement in Britain.
3. There was a great desire to end the
2. , In France, the movement was
rational and secular and lacked the
fervour of a religious crusade which
growing incidence of the flight of
thousands of slaves from the French
marked the movement in Britain, Caribbean to the British colonies
and which helped to make it where slavery had ended in 1838.
victorious.
4. The planters had little regard for the
3. There was strong resistance to the amelioration measures and so this
emancipation movement by local
planters and officials, for example, encouraged the abolitionists to press
the amelioration proposals were for complete freedom.
fiercely resisted by the planters
although there were no local
legislatures in the French colonies. 5. The abolition of slavery in the British
territories in 1834, provided an example
for the French abolitionists to press for
complete freedom.
Similarities and Differences between
French and British Emancipation
Movements SIMILARITIES
1.Each movement had a champion in the
person of Victor Schoelcher in the French
movement and William Wilberforce in the
British.

2.In each movement, there was an

influential West Indian Interest which
strongly opposed the abolitionists.
However, political strength and influence
waned as more liberal politicians who
were supportive of emancipation,
displaced them.

3. Similar methods were used in the

publicity campaigns of the abolition
movements such as the printing of
pamphlets and the holding of lectures in
Britain and France as abolitionists sought
to win public support for their cause
DIFFERENCES

1. The British movement was earlier than

the French movement.

2, The British West India Lobby was

defeated in Parliament in the early 1830s
whereas the French Sugar Lobby was able
to resist for another 15 years.

3. The British movement was more widely

supported and involved outstanding
individuals. On the other hand, the French
movement was more of an individual
struggle by Victor Schoelcher .
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