The benevolent merchant? : George Hibbert (1757-1837) and the representation of West Indian mercantile identity
As seen in the 2007 commemorations of the bicentenary of the British abolition of the slave trade, abolitionism has largely supplanted proslavery in the collective memory and national history of slavery. However for two hundred years prior to the rise of abolition British society accepted, promoted and benefitted from its extensive involvement in the system. My thesis addresses the uncomfortable history of domestic participation. It argues that whilst colonial slavery took place at a geographic distance the profits flowed back and forth across the Atlantic enmeshing the metropole with the colony through the ties of kinship, business, finance and political identity. George Hibbert, an 'eminent West India merchant', lived through both the abolition of the slave trade and finally slavery. This periodisation offers a unique opportunity to chart the course of both British abolition and anti-abolition through the lens of a single man. Hibbert constructed for himself an enlightened identity and took pride in the idea that through his cultivation of character he promoted not only himself but the West Indian mercantile class as a collective. My thesis considers how he imagined the figure of the West India merchant
Donnington, Katie Louise
The benevolent merchant? : George Hibbert (1757-1837) and the representation of West Indian mercantile identity. As seen in the 2007 commemorations of the bicentenary of the British abolition of the slave trade, abolitionism has largely supplanted proslavery in the collective memory and national history of slavery. However for two hundred years prior to the rise of abolition British society accepted, promoted and benefitted from its extensive involvement in the system. My thesis addresses the uncomfortable history of domestic participation. It argues that whilst colonial slavery took place at a geographic distance the profits flowed back and forth across the Atlantic enmeshing the metropole with the colony through the ties of kinship, business, finance and political identity. George Hibbert, an 'eminent West India merchant', lived through both the abolition of the slave trade and finally slavery. This periodisation offers a unique opportunity to chart the course of both British abolition and anti-abolition through the lens of a single man. Hibbert constructed for himself an enlightened identity and took pride in the idea that through his cultivation of character he promoted not only himself but the West Indian mercantile class as a collective. My thesis considers how he imagined the figure of the West India merchant
benevolent merchant george representation west_indian mercantile identity see commemoration british abolition slave_trade largely collective_memory national_history slavery however prior rise abolition british_society accept promote benefit extensive involvement system address history domestic participation argues whilst colonial slavery take_place geographic distance profit flow back forth across atlantic enmesh metropole colony tie kinship business finance political_identity george eminent west india merchant live abolition slave_trade finally slavery periodisation offer_unique opportunity chart course british abolition anti abolition lens single man construct identity take pride idea cultivation character promote west_indian mercantile class collective considers imagine figure west india merchant