When and wherever systems of slavery existed, enslaved people struggled to be free. Working across British, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese imperial spaces between 1750 and 1900, this online workshop brings together a unique team of scholars to examine what happened when enslaved people achieved their emancipation. What did freedom from slavery look like in colonial societies that were profoundly unequal? From maroon communities in the Caribbean to the forced resettlement of emancipated slaves in European colonies in Africa and the emancipation of slaves in segregated colonial port cities in Asia, enslaved people encountered ‘freedom’ in very different ways. During this two-day online workshop both junior and senior researchers share and discuss their datasets to uncover similarities and differences in the life experience of emancipated slaves and their descendants across different European empires.
For more information, check the website or contact las@let.ru.nl.