Question 8 

Imagine you are an investigator in a British Caribbean territory in 1837. Write a report to a British anti-
slavery society in which you discuss the impact of FIVE problems regarding the functioning of the
Apprenticeship System. 

Total 25 marks 

My name is Christina Campbell and I am an investigator in a British Caribbean territory, I will be

investigating on the apprenticeship system, the reasons for the implementation of the system and five
problems regarding in the functioning of the Apprenticeship System. This investigation that is being
carried out will be beneficial to the future generation and allow other individuals from different
Caribbean territories get a better understanding of the apprenticeship system.

What is the Apprenticeship System? The apprenticeship system was enacted 4 years ago, it is the name
applied to the plan instituted between slavery and emancipation to prepare the slaves for the duties of
freemen. Since the apprenticeship system was implemented the blacks were not referred to as slaves or
ex-slaves, they were referred as apprentices. Apprentices are persons who are learning a specific job or
jobs, that requires specific skills from someone who is already skilled in the area; some of these jobs are
electrician, glaziers and mechanic just to name few. Some clauses of the apprenticeship system that
were related to the apprentices are:

 Apprentices were able to buy freedom when they are no longer valuable. Some of the
apprentices are either old, ill and feeble and cannot manage to work anymore so they are no
longer valuable and have to buy their freedom to get a better chance at life.
 Apprentices were to be paid overtime, majority of the apprentices worked overtime without the
chance of getting paid before the system was implemented, now that the system is
implemented they have the opportunity to sustain more money.
 Apprentices were allowed to keep ground provisions, huts and free food. Some of the ground
provisions that the apprentices were allowed to keep are yam, cassava and sugar cane and the
talented ones would’ve built huts for shelter.

 Domestic apprentices were to do 4 more years while field 6, this meant that the apprentices
that were in the domestic and field were staying longer on the plantations.

The Apprenticeship System was carried out in the British Caribbean for many different reasons. The
most important reason for the apprenticeship system was to prepare the apprentices for freedom, they
had confidence in this reason because they wanted to give the apprentices an idea of what to expect in
a free society. Another reason was to prevent the blacks from lands that were not yet cultivated, the
planters did not want this to happen because they wanted to get more income out of the dying sugar
industry; and if the blacks occupied the lands, the planters would not have received enough income.
Lastly the system was allowed to give planters more time to find another labour force, this specific
reason gave planters the opportunity to get as much as they could out of the apprentices, some of these
opportunities were to make them work harder, extreme and difficult punishment like the treadmill and
severe penalties.
To complete this investigation, I gathered my cameras and important documents to gain information on
the five problems regarding to the functioning of the Apprenticeship System but first let me introduce
and explain the next three clauses of the system.

 All children under 6 should be freed, this clause is very evident but it means that children
ranging from ages 0-5, got the opportunity to leave the plantation.
 Planters were to be compensated with 20 million pound, this clause is stating that all planters
were receiving the sum of 20 million pound. What would be the outcome if the apprentices
were the ones receiving 20 million pounds?

 Stipendiary magistrates who were retired English officers was sent to supervise apprenticeship,

these officers were to manage and assist with the apprenticeship system.

The five problems regarding to the functioning of the Apprenticeship System are:
 Will the Apprenticeship System be successful? This question requires deep thinking and
analysis; the clauses of the apprenticeship system can work but it can also fail. The
result of the system depends desperately on the planters and the whites because their
actions depends on the success or failure of the apprenticeship system.
 How long will the Apprenticeship System last? Another great questions, from my point
of the view the system will last as long as majority or all of the slaves/ apprentices are
freed.
 Why were the children under the 6 the only one allowed to be freed? This a question I
need answer for, because allowing underage children to be on their own doesn’t sit well
with me and I think they should have sent a parent or two with the children who were
released.
 Which clause or clauses would not work? Questions like these are up to the planters, if
they decided that they are against a specific clause it would not work.
 Would the apprentices get an opportunity at freedom? It is a possibility that this might
happen but if the planters see that opportunity before the apprentices does they are
going to take advantages of it.

The outcome of the apprenticeship systems depends highly on the result of the planter’s, the British
Caribbean have some interesting clauses and reasons for the apprenticeship system and with the
planter’s cooperation the system will be successful. I hope this report gave you the reader a better
understanding of the apprenticeship system.