David Brion Davis on the history of slavery















Davis wrote in several books that the emancipation of slaves in the British West Indies was one of history’s great triumphs of morality over self-interest.  No white Briton stood to make any economic gain from abolishing slavery.  It was the result of a religious and philosophical belief that slavery was wrong.

davs-slavery-westernculture178709Somebody might object that the British deserve no special credit for ceasing to do something that was wrong in the first place.  Be that as it may, the path of least resistance was to continue in the wrong, and they chose voluntarily to turn back from that path.

The British example inspired abolitionists in the United States, although in the U.S. case, slavery was more than a moral issue.  Free white workers objected to competing with slave labor out of self-interest, not necessarily out of a belief in universal human rights.

As in these earlier books, Davis wrote in The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation that the successful rebellion of slaves in Haiti was the pivotal event in the history of New World slavery.  It showed that the continuation of slavery could not be taken for granted.  It gave hope to enslaved people and aroused fears of slave owners.

davis-slavery-revolutionheb00229-0001-001One of the arguments against slavery was that it caused the moral degradation of the slaves.  Slaveowners and overseers deliberately tried to keep slaves in a state of psychological dependency, and to deny them any control over their own lives.  Enslaved women were often raped sexually abused.  These conditions created as much or more indignation among the Christian public than the physical hardships of the slaves.

But this argument was a two-edged sword.  If slaves were actually  degraded, then there was a risk in letting them go free.  Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln (prior to 1860) and others doubted it was possible for black and white people to coexist on a basis of equality, and advocated colonization of black Americans in Liberia or some Caribbean or Central American country.

davis-slavery-progress41j8kgtugzl-_sx322_bo1204203200_Davis devoted two chapters of his latest book to the history of Liberia, where sadly but understandably, the African-American settlers treated the native African population as European settlers treated the native American population and African slaves.

I say, understandably, because average human beings will pattern themselves on what they’re familiar with unless they have a compelling reason not to.

It was by no means inevitable that slavery would be abolished when it was.   Hardly anybody, certainly not Lincoln, foresaw in 1860 that not only would slavery be abolished throughout the United States, but that the Constitution would be amended to grant the former slaves full rights of citizenship.

davis-inhumanbondage515pj0nzgil-_sx330_bo1204203200_Given the backlash in the South against equal rights for black people, it is entirely possible that, if things had turned out slightly differently, slavery could have persisted for another 50 or even 100 years.

As it was, the example set by the United Kingdom and the United States led to the outlawing (I won’t say abolition) of slavery throughout the whole world.   This history is a reason for belief that other struggles for human freedom are not hopeless.

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2 Responses to “David Brion Davis on the history of slavery”

  1. 61chrissterry Says:

    Reblogged this on 61chrissterry and commented:
    The world and some people in it have a lot to answer for but hopefully everyone will see the light and we can all live together peacefully as we should all enjoy our freedom.


  2. blackleaderanalysis Says:

    Great article I got to read more on David Davis.


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