Once upon a time, Britain had reportedly used the Irish people, and not the Africans, as slaves and sent them to the US! That was possibly why thousands of Irish men, women and even children arrived in the US from Britain in the 17th Century. The slave traders used to punish slaves who rebelled in the most gruesome manner. Usually, rebels were burnt alive or their heads were kept at public places so that other slaves would not dare to stage protests!
These facts go like this: King James VI and King Charles I of Britain led a continued effort to enslave the Irish people. Britain's Oliver Cromwell furthered this practice of dehumanising one's next-door neighbour. The Irish slave trade began when King James VI sold 30,000 (Irish) prisoners as slaves to the New World! Hence, the population of Ireland had fallen from about 1,500,000 to 60,000 within a decade. During their reign, auctioning the Irish slaves became the main trade of Britain. It is also said that nearly 100,000 Irish children between the ages of 10 and 14 were taken away from their parents in the 1650s and sold as slaves in the West Indies, Virginia and New England! A total of 52,000 Irish people (mostly women and children) were sold to Barbados and Virginia at that period of time. In 1656, Cromwell was reportedly heard announcing that 2,000 Irish children would be taken to Jamaica and sold to English settlers as slaves.
It may be noted that the African slave trade, too, began at the same time. It is well documented that African slaves were comparatively more valuable than their Irish counterparts! By the late 1600s, the value of an African slave was 50 Sterling (GBP), while the price of an Irish slave was no more than 5 Sterling (GBP). Again, if a slave master whipped or beat an Irish slave to death, it was never considered a crime. The cost of such a killing was just GBP 5 that was much cheaper than killing an African slave. Even if an Irish lady somehow managed to enjoy freedom, her children would have to serve as slaves of her master!
Over time, the Britons thought of better ways to use the Irish women in an attempt to increase their market share in slave trade. They decided to create a distinct race of slaves with the help of Irish women (as well as girls, many as young as 12) and African men. The Irish women and African men started to breed the new hybrid slaves. In fact, brothels were raided to provide breeders for Virginia. The price of hybrid slaves was slightly higher than Irish stock! In 1681, the British Parliament passed a law, prohibiting the production of slaves for sale!
However, thousands of Irish slaves were sold to both Australia and the US after the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Both African and Irish slaves were subjected to horrific torture. Once, a British ship reportedly dumped 1,302 slaves in the Atlantic Ocean so that the crew would not run out of food. Most of the brown-coloured people living in the West Indies are most likely mixed races of African and Irish ancestry. In 1839, Britain finally enacted new Acts to end the Irish slave trade and to erase the dark chapter of (Irish) misery.
If one believes that slavery was only an African experience, then it is a complete misconception. The history of slavery cannot be erased from the memory of the Irish people. In their 2008 publication 'White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America', Don Jordan and Michael Walsh have mentioned that the brutalities are usually associated with Black slavery alone! However, White slavery was also there throughout British colonial rule. Although the slave trade ended with American Independence, the Britons still tried to sell convicts in their former colonies, prompting one of the most audacious plots in Anglo-American history. Unfortunately, the saga of exploration and cruelty spanning 170 years has been submerged under the overwhelming memory of Black slavery. White Cargo brings the brutal and uncomfortable story to the surface.
Meanwhile, many believe that that the Irish people were enslaved in British North America are a longstanding myth, and online memes are often associated with neo-Confederates and White nationalists. The claim, according to experts, is also often politically motivated and untrue!
Boundless Ocean of Politics on Facebook
Boundless Ocean of Politics on Twitter
Boundless Ocean of Politics on Linkedin
Contact: kousdas@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment