Mullen, S. (2023) Proslavery collaborations between British outport and metropole: the rise of the Glasgow-West India interest, 1775-1838. Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 51(4), pp. 601-643. (doi: 10.1080/03086534.2023.2166390)
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Abstract
This article provides the first systematic exploration of pro-slavery collaborations between British outport and metropole from the American War of Independence in 1775 to the abolition of plantation slavery in 1834–1838. Examination of a group of individuals commercially involved with the Caribbean trades including absentee planters, merchants, merchant-proprietors and returned sojourners – described here as the ‘Glasgow-West India interest’ – as well as the institutions to which they belonged, provides insights around three key themes. Firstly, what was the relative strength of pro-slavery groups and individuals in Glasgow from 1775 to 1838? Secondly, to what extent, and in what ways, did pro-slavery groups and individuals in Glasgow interact with other outport organisations and especially the London Society of West India Planters and Merchants, the most powerful pro-slavery lobbying group in the British Atlantic world? Thirdly, since pro-slavery groups could not prevent either abolition or emancipation, was lobbying of any benefit to relevant individuals? This article contends that the influence of the Glasgow-West India interest increased after 1778, that this group became a cornerstone of the British pro-slavery cause up to emancipation in 1834, and in turn some accumulated nationally significant fortunes in the abolition eras.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Funding: This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/I902414/1]; and a small research grant from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2016). |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Mullen, Dr Stephen |
| Authors: | Mullen, S. |
| College/School: | College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History |
| Journal Name: | Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History |
| Publisher: | Taylor and Francis |
| ISSN: | 0308-6534 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1743-9329 |
| Published Online: | 31 January 2023 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2023 The Author(s) |
| First Published: | First published in Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 51(4):601-643 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons license |
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