9781108831529

1108831524

9781108926690

110892669X

9781108917513

"It is criminal selfishness to seek liberty and independence from Spain for ourselves, if we wish not to grant it to our slaves." With these stern words, the lawyer Félix José de Restrepo addressed his colleagues, the delegates to the first General Congress of the Republic of Colombia, in 1821. As the delegates worked out the new republic's constitution and foundational laws, Restrepo invited them to consider the problem of slavery: were slaves, like other humans, "children of Adam" and thus eligible for equal rights? Were "whites" entitled to dominate "blacks"? Was any government that upheld slavery a "criminal" government by definition? Should independence from Spain automatically lead to liberty for slaves? As the South American independence movement reached its climax, Restrepo forcefully developed clear-cut questions. But would they find clear and forceful answers, as many slaves and some free people hoped? In 1821 Restrepo defended freedom over slavery on behalf of humanity, religion, and the decorum of the nascent country. He introduced a manumission bill, ostensibly aiming to end coerced labor. It is indispensable to "annihilate slavery," he insisted. In Restrepo's view, the General Congress represented the ideal opportunity to restore enslaved individuals to their human "dignity" while giving neighboring countries an example of "justice." Ending slavery, moreover, would dignify the revolution against Spain, guaranteeing future economic and political stability for the new republic. Restrepo asserted that it remained a contradiction to pray to God for deliverance from foreign tyrants while keeping thousands of people in captivity. Providence, he predicted, would throw Colombia back into the hands of Spain "if we refuse to exercise mercy with our brothers"-- Provided by publisher.

Unraveling Abolition tells the fascinating story of slaves, former slaves, magistrates and legal workers who fought for emancipation, without armed struggle, from 1781 to 1830. By centering the Colombian judicial forum as a crucible of antislavery, Edgardo Pérez Morales reveals how the meanings of slavery, freedom and political belonging were publicly contested. In the absence of freedom of the press or association, the politics of abolition were first formed during litigation. Through the life stories of enslaved litigants and defendants, Pérez Morales illuminates the rise of antislavery culture, and how this tradition of legal tinkering and struggle shaped claims to equal citizenship during the anti-Spanish revolutions of the early 1800s. By questioning foundational constitutions and laws, this book uncovers how legal activists were radically committed to the idea that independence from Spain would be incomplete without emancipation for all slaves.

Prologue: Antislavery, abolition, and the judicial forum

1. Raynal in the new kingdom?

2. Landscapes of slavery, rumors of freedom

3. Popayán: prudent legislation

4. Cartagena: equality and natural law

5. Antioquia: free womb, captive slaves

6. An exegesis of liberty

Epilogue: the slaves before the law.

Antislavery movements > Colombia > 18th century > History.

Antislavery movements > Colombia > 19th century > History.

Slavery > Colombia > History.

Enslaved persons > Emancipation > History.

Slavery > Law and legislation > Colombia.