Two impressive studies have reexamined Eric Williams' conclusion that Britain's abolition of the slave trade in 1807 and its emancipation of slaves in its colonies in 1834 were driven primarily by economic rather than humanitarian motives. ββββββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββ βββββββββββββ βββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββ βββββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββ ββ ββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ
βββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ β ββββ ββββββββ βββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββββββ βββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββββββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββββββ βββββ βββββββ ββ ββββ βββ ββββββ βββββ ββ ββββββ ββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββ βββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββ ββ ββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββββββββ βββββββ βββ
βββββ ββββββ ββββββ ββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββ βββ
It can be inferred that βββββ βββββ βββ βββββ ββ β
support the claim ββββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββ βββ ββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ ββ
Eltis brings up the views of βcertain notablesβ to point out that some influential British people believed
support the contention ββββ β ββββββ βββββ βββββ βββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββ
Eltis does suggest that Britain cared about β
emphasize the importance ββ βββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββββ βββββββ
Eltis doesnβt argue that slavery was important as an institution in Britain. Heβs simply pushing back against Drescherβs β
indicate that the ββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββββ βββββββ βββ βββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββ
Eltis never argues that the laboring classes provided little support. In fact, he believes that they provided significant support; his entire argument is a hypothesis for how Britain managed to muster popular support for abolition across class divides.
establish that laborers ββ βββββββββββββ βββββββ βββ βββ βββββ ββββββ
Eltis doesnβt make any argument about laborersβ civil rights. Yes, he notes that laborers suffered low wages and harsh laws, and he brings up the pro-slavery views of βcertain notablesβ to illustrate the attitudes underlying those wages and laws. But Eltisβ point there is simply that Britain wasnβt as pro-liberty as some people (i.e., Drescher) might think. He never raises the notion of rights. Maybe Eltis thinks laborers in preindustrial Britain had manyβbut terribleβrights: the right to earn two cents per month, the right to 20-hour work days, the right to one minute of vacation per year...
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