British Anti-Slavery

Apprenticeship
1834-1838
 Contents of this template
1. Discuss 6 clauses of the Emancipation Act of 1833.
2. Examine at least three ways how the Emancipation Act benefited the
planters
3. Discuss at least three ways how the Emancipation Act benefited the slaves.
4. Identify two British territories that did not implement Apprenticeship.
5. Outline three reasons Antigua was in favour of full emancipation instead of
Apprenticeship.
6. Examine at least 5 reasons/ objectives of Apprenticeship.
7. Outline at least 5 problems that the apprentices had with the system of
Apprenticeship.
8. Explain who were the Stipendiary Magistrates in at least two sentences.
9. Outline two roles of the Stipendiary Magistrates
10. Examine at least six challenges that they encountered in trying to ensure
the working of Apprenticeship.
11. Analyze at least five reasons for the premature ending of Apprenticeship.
 The Emancipation Act of 1833

The Emancipation Bill was introduced by Thomas Fowell-Buxton. It was he

who replaced William Wilberforce in Parliament in 1822 as the chief
Parliamentary spokesman for abolition. The Bill stated that ‘’Slavery shall
be and is hereby utterly and forever abolished and declared unlawful
throughout the British colonies and possessions abroad.’’ However, in
1833 emancipation was not complete because there were clauses in the
Act about an Apprenticeship System which delayed complete
emancipation until 1838.
 The Provisions/Clauses of the Emancipation Act

The Emancipation Act stated that slavery was to be abolished from August 1 st , 1834.
Some of the provisions of the Act were designed to gain the cooperation of the planters.
These stated that:
➢ Slaves, six years and over were to serve a period of apprenticeship. In the case of
domestic
➢ slaves, four years whereas field slaves were to serve six years.
➢ 2. Apprentices were to work for their masters for three-quarters of the working
week (40 ½hours) without wages.
➢ 3. Twenty million pounds were provided to compensate the planters for the loss of
their unpaid labour.
➢ 4. Apprentices were to remain on the estate during the Apprenticeship period.
 How the Emancipation Act benefited the apprentices

➢ Children under six years old on August 1 st , 1834 were to be freed immediately.
➢ Planters were to continue to provide food, clothing, shelter and medical care for
apprentices, and in the absence of food, provision grounds should be provided and
time to cultivate them.
➢ Apprentices were to be paid for work done in excess of the compulsory 40 ½ hours per
week.
➢ Apprentices could not be sold unless the estate to which they belonged was sold.
➢ Stipendiary Magistrates were to be provided to supervise the Apprenticeship System.
➢ Apprentices could purchase their freedom with or without the consent of their masters.
➢ The Apprenticeship period could be shortened but no alternative to Apprenticeship
➢ would be allowed.
 Results

On the 29th August, 1833, the Emancipation Act received royal assent and so Emancipation was
to come into effect on August, 1 st , 1834. Order-in-Council enforced it on the Crown Colonies. In
other colonies, the local legislatures were expected to follow. However, the legislature of Antigua
and Barbuda decided not to implement Apprenticeship so their slaves received complete freedom
on August 1st , 1834.
In Antigua there was no period of apprenticeship. The planters who controlled the House of
Assembly believed that they could increase the profits of the sugar industry despite paying wages
for the whole week because of the greatly increase output of the labourers. This decision was
probably influenced by the very good relationship between master and slave due probably to the
work of the missionaries, especially the Moravians.
 The Apprenticeship System (1834-1838)

Apprenticeship was proposed by James Stephen, a member of

the Society for the Abolition of Slavery and adviser to the
Colonial office on West Indian affairs in 1833. This was to give
slaves time to adjust to freedom, to look after themselves, to
handle money and support their families. Apprenticeship was
neither full freedom nor full slavery.
 Aims of the Apprenticeship System
➢ To provide a peaceful transition from slavery to freedom.
➢ To train the apprentices for the responsibilities of full freedom especially in working
regularly for wages.
➢ To teach them to be thrifty, thus enabling them to earn a living and to provide them
with sustenance during the period.
➢ To delay immediate emancipation.
➢ To facilitate the continuation of a plantation economy.
➢ To facilitate the changeover to a wage economy.
➢ It sought to guarantee to the planters an adequate supply of labour for the sugar
estates for the six-year period while apprenticeship lasted. i.e. to ensure the ex-slaves
did not leave the plantation.
 Difficulties faced by the British Government in
implementing the Emancipation Act

➢ The planters felt that they were unfairly robbed of their property in slaves, and so they
were determined to take revenge on the slaves. They tried to exploit the apprentices over
wages, provision ground and other benefits which they should have enjoyed.
➢ It was difficult to turn the master/slave relationship into the employer/employee
relationship.
➢ There were difficulties concerning the number of hours of work each day and the
minimum wages to be paid to slaves.
➢ Apprentices were dissatisfied with the Act, they could not understand why free people
should work without wages.
 Cont’d

➢ It was difficult to get the assemblies to pass the necessary laws to bring the Act
into Operation.
➢ It was difficult to get enough suitable candidates to serve as Stipendiary
Magistrates and so local personnel were appointed to fill some of the positions.
➢ The locally appointed Stipendiary Magistrates tended to side with the planters
against the apprentices.
 How the British Government tried to solve these
problems

➢ They tried to recruit people directly from Britain to serve as Stipendiary Magistrates but
unfortunately, the number of persons found was grossly inadequate.
➢ The compensation money was tied to the passing of the Emancipation Act in order to
force the assemblies to pass the Act. No compensation money would be paid if the Act
was not passed.
➢ The British government tried to keep a close check on the local laws to try to prevent the
exploitation of the apprentices.
 Cont’d
➢ The £30, 000 grant provided in 1835 for education of the ex-slaves was given to the
missionaries to eliminate the possibility of the planters using the desire of an education
to exploit the ex-slaves.
➢ The government shortened the period of Apprenticeship.
 Problems which apprentices experienced due to the
implementation of the Emancipation Act

➢ Planters classified artisans as praedials (field slaves) in order to maintain the labour for
six years. They argued that the artisans contributed indirectly to production.
➢ Apprentices were sometimes threatened with demotion to the field for offences like
acts of insubordination.
➢ The planters, in their attempt to keep the apprentices attached to the estates for as
long as possible, demanded that they work eight hours each day for five each week.
On the other hand, the apprentices wanted to work nine hours each day for four and a
half days each week.
 Cont’d
➢ The planters counted the number of hours from the time when the apprentices arrived at
work, whereas the apprentices wanted the hours to be counted from the time they left
home.
➢ If planters did not feed the apprentices, the Act stated that they were to be provided with
provision grounds and time to cultivate their grounds. However, where provision grounds
were provided, they were usually far away from the estate, the land was infertile and
sometimes the planters charged the apprentices rent for the use of the land.
➢ Apprentices often had difficulty purchasing their freedom because planters raised the
prices to limit the number of those who would not be able to purchase their freedom.
 How the Ex- slaves responded to the Emancipation Act

➢ In Jamaica, some apprentices refused to work until several were flogged or locked in
jail.
➢ Some apprentices saved their money during the apprenticeship period and brought
their freedom in order to escape the planter’s exploitation. In Jamaica, nearly 1, 500
apprentices purchased their freedom before the system was abolished.
➢ Many of them when they were fully free, refused to allow their children to work on the
estates. Instead, they wanted to take advantage of the educational opportunities
available with the hope that this would provide a better way of life.
 Cont’d
➢ Some apprentices demanded higher wages for their labour during crop time when
it was needed most.
➢ Whenever possible, the apprentices complained to the Stipendiary Magistrates
about the
abuse imposed by the planters. However, it was usually difficult to contact the
magistrates since apprentices needed a pass to leave the estates, and obtaining a
pass could be difficult.
 The Stipendiary or Special Magistrates

The Stipendiary Magistrates were appointed from Britain and from among
retired army and naval officers living on half- pay. These men were qualified
because they were accustomed to rough conditions in various parts of the
world and they were accustomed to enforcing discipline. They were supposed
to be ‘’Men uninfluenced by the local assemblies, free from local passions.’’
 The Duties/ Roles of the Stipendiary Magistrates

➢ To administer justice and to assist in preventing social and economic disturbances.

➢ To help to preserve public peace and order and to alleviate this fear.
➢ To supervise the operation of the Act of Emancipation.
➢ They were given exclusive jurisdiction over offences committed by the apprentices or
their employers in relation to each other. In some colonies, this jurisdiction extended to
minor offences such as petty thefts.
➢ They had to visit various estates at regular intervals so as to settle differences. They dealt
with a multitude of cases such as insolence, laziness and insubordination against the
apprentices as well as counter charges against owners such as severity, assault,
inadequate medical treatment and cheating in the matter of working hours.
 Cont’d

➢ To ensure that no one was imprisoned without their orders and that medical attention
was given to apprentices in hospitals.
➢ To inspect jails and workhouses.
➢ To assist in fixing the value of negroes who wanted to buy their freedom.
 Problems Experienced by the Stipendiary Magistrates

➢ Apprenticeship was neither full slavery nor full freedom, so the magistrates’
administration of it was difficult or confusing for all parties.
➢ The Stipendiary Magistrates were too few and as a result, were overworked.
➢ The system was grossly under financed and so the magistrates were underpaid.
➢ There was no provision for sick leave or return passages to England if they were
dismissed from service, or if they were forced to return home because of ill-
health.
➢ There was no pension for their family if they died in service.
 Cont’d
➢ There were no provisions made for the stabling of horses used by the magistrates or for
lodging if they were caught far from home at nightfall.
➢ Stipendiary Magistrates were required to submit regular reports to the governor on the
general state of the areas they supervised. These documents had to be written at night
after weary hours of rough riding.
➢ Many of the magistrates were retired professionals for example army officers who were
mostly elderly. Consequently, the heavy workload and the constant travelling sometimes
through mountains with improper roads were too difficult for them.
➢ The mortality rate of the magistrates was high as they suffered from tropical fevers and
dysentery.
 Reasons the Apprenticeship System came to a premature
end in 1838

Apprenticeship according to the Emancipation Act was supposed to end in 1838 for non-
praedials and in 1840 for praedials. In 1838 it ended for everyone. Several factors were
responsible for this premature end:
➢ The planters felt that slavery was uneconomical and that they would benefit from
freedom because they would not have to provide apprentices with food, clothes,
medical care and housing. They could also pay the lowest wages which would attract
the number of workers they needed. The planter therefore felt that he would be better
off financially since his expenses would be reduced.
 Cont’d
➢ The British Government was beginning to have doubts about the benefits of the
apprenticeship system and it was not providing the apprentices with the kind of
training
for freedom which was envisaged. In 1838, a Royal Commission was appointed to
investigate the working of apprenticeship in the British West Indies. From Jamaica, it
produced very critical reports.
➢ The planters realized that it would be impractical to free the domestic slaves in 1838
and retain the services of the field slaves since they were both needed for the effective
operation of the estate. They believed that those who were retained would create
trouble for the planters who failed to give them their freedom.
 Cont’d
➢ In some colonies, it was difficult to differentiate between the domestic saves and field
slaves. Sometimes, domestics were recruited to the fields because of shortage of labour.
Therefore, if the domestic slaves working in the fields obtained their freedom, then
regular field slaves would also claim their freedom.
➢ The apprentices who were anticipating their complete freedom were becoming restless,
hence they began to exert to pressure on the authorities to act on their behalf.
 Assignment

Discuss the question “Was the

Emancipation Act a triumph
of another compromise”?