4 ms·
One reason that’s been under examined is the broader political context after the American Civil War. For example, during and immediately after the war the Briti
by spamizbad 6y ago
One reason that’s been under examined is the broader political context after the American Civil War. For example, during and immediately after the war the British Empire was offering wealthy southern slave owners exile and said they could keep their slaves (provided they kept them on certain island territories).
So the US may have ultimately chosen an extraordinary reconciliation with the South because it feared wealth flight.
- stephenhuey 6y agoDo you have a reference? The British had already outlawed slavery. The only thing I found was Confederates going to Mexico and Brazil, and I think without their slaves: Confederate colonies - Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_colonies https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_colonies Here’s a picture of Jimmy Carter with Confederados in Brazil: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederados https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederados
- genoapol 6y agoSlaves were securitized and traded in European markets long after slavery was outlawed. These financial ties make the claim very possible, slaves were part of many wealthy British family's portfolios. Roughly 8-10 million slaves, each approximately the price of a single family home.
- stephenhuey 6y agoYes, I'm with you on this, but it seems the timeline mentioned above is off. However, the figures you refer to are impressive and show the power of money to corrupt people to take advantage of others at all costs. In reading up on the Jane Austen novel Mansfield Park a couple months ago, I came across this startling assertion about how so much of Britain's wealth came from slavery: "By the end of the eighteenth century, the sugar plantations of the West Indies (like Sir Thomas’s plantation in Antigua) were pumping four million pounds into Britain as compared with only one million pounds from Britain’s interests in the rest of the world (The Abolition Project)." https://consideringausten.wordpress.com/austen-and-antigua-slavery-in-her-time/ https://consideringausten.wordpress.com/austen-and-antigua-s...
- genoapol 6y agoRings true, around this period Haiti was indeed the single most expensive piece of real estate on the planet, due to its sugar and coffee output.
- aspenmayer 6y agoCan you go on? I’d like to read more about this.