Frederick Douglass and the Evangelical Alliance

Continuing my research into Frederick Douglass’s life, 1846 was an incredible year for antislavery in Britain. Douglass, along with many Scottish abolitionists, had created a storm over the Free Church of Scotland and their decision to accept money from slaveholders (see an earlier post on this). This campaign was to have a huge effect on events in London in the summer of 1846…

Members of the Evangelist church across the globe convened in London to form a united organization – the Evangelical Alliance. However, the impact of the Free Church campaign and subsequent antislavery agitation divided the Alliance over the question of slavery and religion. A debate erupted between those in favour of excommunicating slaveholders from the Alliance, and those that were against it. Some men, like the Reverend J.H Hinton denounced the idea slaveholders should be invited, for the religious community could not afford “to prop and bolster up the system of American slavery.” He rebuked those who thought it pointless to debate slavery, stating, “The alliance is divided already.” In reply, an American Reverend S.L. Pomroy argued for a distinction between slavery and the individual – slavery was a sin, but a slaveholder could be a Christian, and it would be wrong to tar them with the same brush.

Frederick Douglass seized upon this indecision. Firstly, he pointed out that the Alliance did not invite Quakers, a religious group who had done much for the abolitionist cause. So why did they invite slaveholders? Secondly, he used the issue to target the American church itself, further exposing and ridiculing the relationship between slavery and Christianity. He argued that the Americans at the Alliance were under control of the churches:

“I do believe the Evangelical Alliance was hoodwinked, that they were misled; I do not think they really understood the matter...It was these reverend doctors [Americans] who led astray the British ministers in the Evangelical Alliance, on this question of slavery; they dared not go home to America as connected with the Alliance, if anything had been registered against slavery by that Alliance; they knew who were their masters, and that they must be uncompromising…” (Frederick Douglass, “Slavery in the Pulpit of the Evangelical Alliance”: An Address Delivered in London, England, September 14 1846)

Some were outraged at Douglass’s comments. A disgusted reader of the Fife Herald wrote:

“…although Mr Frederick should be detained a few years longer in bonds, this reflection ought to console him. That his exertions in the cultivation of coffee are vastly more calculated to benefit himself and his country than those nauseous speeches he is in the habit of addressing to those old women of both sexes, who conscientiously believe negro emancipation in our own colonies was the legitimate consequences of their own privations... It is the duty of all the friends of human freedom, ministers as well as others to unite in any well-concerted political movement which has for its object the abolition of slavery but to excommunicate the individual slave-holders would be on their part an act of persecution…”(Fife Herald, Thursday 14 May, 1846.)

Eventually, the decision was put to a committee, but little became of it. However, this important event highlights the divisive nature of American slavery, something that was not confined to the South. Britain needs to know about this history, as it is a crucial part of British and American transatlantic history.

While in partnership with other organizations across the world, the British Evangelical Alliance still exists today.

Digitisation is necessary

The Internet is a powerful and essential resource for historians in the modern world. Hundreds of museums and universities have used the Internet to display their collections, including objects or documents that would have been hidden away in storage. In the current climate, digitisation of such resources requires time, effort, and money, something that is not available or affordable for some museums. However, digitisation is necessary to ensure the survival of these collections. While it should not be used as a substitute for the real thing, digitising material and placing it on the Internet removes it from the archive and into the public eye. Furthermore, material from a past exhibit can be preserved on the Internet, for those who wish to see the particular object again or for those who did not see it in the first place. From my own experience as a student, the Internet has been an invaluable resource. I wrote my dissertation on African American women in domestic service during the American Progressive Era, a rather obscure topic, and it could not have been completed without access to digitised content from university libraries or museum collections. There were hundreds of primary sources, a chance to view objects displaying the “mammy” caricature from museums across the United States, as well as the ability to read slave narratives, articles by domestics themselves and even listen to a 1920’s jazz song about the hard life of a domestic. The content has the potential to reach across the globe. An audience for history often depends on its availability and accessibility. The Internet is crucial for this, and more than anything it brings history back to the majority. It can no longer be claimed history is purely about the elites. Letters, diaries, memoirs, all can be accessed within a click of a button. This illustrates that all history is public history. 

Slavery and Justice

In 2003, Brown University appointed a commission to investigate the links between the university and slavery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It was one of the first institutions to do this, and naturally, it stirred up a lot of controversy. One aim of the investigation was to increase awareness of slavery, and to organise public programmes for students and non-academics alike to recognise the impact of the ‘peculiar institution’. James Campbell, one of the committee members, believed that it was an “obligation” of the university to understand and acknowledge the history of slavery, particularly in Rhode Island where the slave trade was thought to have had little impact.

Their findings were interesting. Brown University had many links with the slave trade – African American slaves were hired to work on the buildings, many of which were built with the profits of merchants investing in the trade. Abolitionists were also connected to the university, as some members of the Brown family were supportive of the American Anti-Slavery Society, which caused massive tension with others who were not keen on this new organisation.

Critics of the report kicked up a storm about the issue of reparations, something that Brown rigorously denied as ever having been an intention of the committee. Some corners of the media also accused the university of starting a race war, which is indicative of how a lot of Americans are reluctant to confront their past.

This report is nothing new of course, but I think it’s an excellent example of public history, and one that should be repeated here in Britain. While cities like Bristol and Liverpool have acknowledged their role in the slave trade, more should be done to acknowledge this history. James Campbell hit the nail on the head when he argued that the report, and hopefully others like it, was not only an acknowledgement of the past, but a new journey for public history – controversial issues should be openly discussed, and society should learn about the positive and negative periods in their history.

Last veteran of WW1 dies

This week, the last veteran of the First World War died at 110. Florence Green served in the Royal Air Force 93 years ago, joining in 1918 when she was just 17. Mrs Green was the last surviving veteran in the WORLD, after the death of Claude Choules in Australia last year. According to her daughter, Mrs Green would serve the pilots breakfast and dinner, and work round the clock on airfield bases across the country. She also spent a lot of time “admiring the pilots”. It’s a shame I didn’t meet this lady. Although she never saw action, the definition of a veteran includes all those who served in the Armed Forces, something, I think, that should have been highlighted by the news.

Her death signals the last connection we had to the Great War. Arguably, it’s now more important to remember those who served in the Armed Forces, and honour their memory by refusing to forget the sacrifice thousands of men and women made for their country, across the world. This was a passing of the generation, and now we have no living link to the First World War. More people must know about this conflict, as it remains largely absent from the National Curriculum. It plays a huge role in our consciousness – in Britain, every small village, town or city has a monument to the men and women who died in the Great War. Through our Remembrance Day celebrations, especially this year, we must remember all the men and women who fought, regardless of religion or nationality and keep their history alive.

Harry Potter's London

Last year I finished another Rama walking tour, this time focusing on Harry Potter film locations in London. This basically combined my two ultimate favourite things – history and Harry Potter, so I very much enjoyed writing it!! 

The statistics for Harry Potter are just phenomenal - the books have sold over 450 million copies (in seventy languages, including latin), and the films have grossed over £4 billion worldwide. Millions of people adore the books and the films, so this was a great opportunity to get people talking about Harry Potter in London, as well as the history behind some of the locations.

The tour starts at Kings’ Cross, the departure point for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…though the real station has some great history. Some believe the ghost of Boudicca haunts the station, as the site of her last battle is located near King’s Cross. St. Pancras station, recently renovated, is a beautiful sight next to King’s Cross – used as the facade for King's Cross in the films, it was known as the ‘cathedral of the railways’ when it was built. St. Pancras refers to a church dedicated to a young Roman boy who was executed for being a Christian. The tour also includes a walk along my favourite stretch of London: Southbank to Tower Bridge. St. Paul’s, the Globe, Tower Bridge, what more do you want? I never get tired of seeing St. Paul’s, and my favourite thing about it is the architect, Sir Christopher Wren. When the original church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, Wren, who chose the symbol rising from the ashes to symbolise London’s regeneration, redesigned the church, finishing it in 1711. Wren is buried in the church, and an inscription states “reader, if you seek a memorial, look around you.”

Follow the tour on twitter! https://twitter.com/#!/Harrys_London

“When I die, London will be forever engraved on my heart”.