The West Indies in 1837


Book Description

Excerpt from The West Indies in 1837: Being the Journal of a Visit to Antigua, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Jamaica; Undertaken for the Purpose of Ascertaining the Actual Condition of the Negro Population of the Those Islands In order to explain the circumstances under which the information, detailed in this volume was acquired, it is necessary to apprize the reader, that in the course of last year, one of the individuals, whose names appear on the title page, became anxious to ascertain, by personal inquiry, the results of the Imperial Abolition Act in the British West India Colonies. To such an investigation he was impelled, not merely by the inconsistent and contradictory statements received from the West Indies, but by observing the ambiguous character of the Report of the Parliamentary Committee; a document which bears strong indications of having emanated from a tribunal, in which the accused parties were themselves judges. Having consulted several friends, on whose judgment he could depend, and having completed the arrangements for the proposed mission, he embarked for the West Indies, accompanied by John Scoble and Thomas Harvey. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.




The West Indies in 1837


Book Description

A detailed description of the lives and social conditions of former slaves in the West Indies, first published in 1838.




The West Indies in 1837


Book Description
















The West Indies in 1837


Book Description

In response to reports of brutality toward former slaves in the West Indies, Joseph Sturge and Thomas Harvey journeyed to the region's plantations to investigate the newly instituted apprenticeship system. The result was this vivid expos, written for "the purpose of ascertaining the actual condition of the Negro population of those islands." Along with Sturge's testimony to Parliament, the book brought an end to the apprenticeship system and reawakened antislavery sentiment in Britain. This near-forgotten chapter in the history of slavery is an early example of muckraking at its best. In the early 19th century, British philanthropist and abolitionist JOSEPH STURGE (1793-1859) was recognized as a powerful symbol of social reform. He also wrote A Visit to the United States in 1841, an examination of slavery in the United States. Fellow Quaker THOMAS HARVEY (1812-1884) also wrote include The Polynesian Slave Trade and Jamaica in 1866.