African Institution
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The African Institution was founded in 1807 after British abolitionists succeeded in ending the slave trade based in the United Kingdom. The Institution was formed to succeed where the former Sierra Leone Company had failed—to create a viable, civilised refuge for freed slaves in
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
, in
West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
. It was led by James Stephen and
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 ...
. From 1823, its work was mostly taken over by the Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Dominions, and it ceased to exist sometime between 1826 and 1828.


History

Where the Sierra Leone Company sought first to convert the native population through
evangelism Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...
, the African Institution aimed to improve the standard of living in
Freetown Freetown () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, e ...
first. Rules and regulations were proposed at its first meeting on 14 April 1807. One aspect of its purpose was to repair the wrongs which Africans had suffered in their intercourse with Europeans. The leaders of the African Institution were James Stephen and
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 ...
. The
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, nephew of King George III, acted as the Institution's first president, and was joined by clergymen and
aristocrat The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...
s. Leading
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
families also became supporters, as well as Unitarians like Peter Finch Martineau.


Friendly Society of Sierra Leone

The Institution showed close interest in working with
Paul Cuffe Paul Cuffe, also known as Paul Cuffee (January 17, 1759 – September 7, 1817) was an African American and Wampanoag businessman, Whaling in the United States, whaler and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. Born Free negro, free int ...
, an African-American entrepreneur. In 1810–11 they approached the British government, requesting a land grant in Sierra Leone for him. The African
merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...
s of Freetown, Sierra Leone, were however prevented from getting ahead by the tight monopoly which the British merchant company Macaulay and Babington held over the Sierra Leone trade. On 7 April 1811 Cuffe met with the foremost black merchants of the colony, including the successful John Kizell. They penned a petition to the African Institution, stating that the colony's greatest needs were for settlers to work in agriculture, commerce and
whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
; and that these three areas would facilitate growth for the colony best. Upon receiving this petition, the members of the Institution agreed with their findings. Cuffe and these merchants together founded the Friendly Society of Sierra Leone, a local mutual-aid merchant group dedicated to furthering prosperity and industry among the free peoples in the colony and loosening the stranglehold that English merchants held on trade.


Indian Ocean

The Institution took action in negotiating with Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman to reduce the prevalence of slavery in his possessions, which included
Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
. This was in 1820, some five years after the
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
had become involved with the Sultan, through the Governor of Bombay, Sir Evan Nepean. In 1821,
Ralph Darling General Sir Ralph Darling, GCH (1772 – 2 April 1858) was a British Army officer who served as Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831. His period of governorship was unpopular, with Darling being broadly regarded as a tyrant. He introd ...
, who was Governor of Mauritius, also took steps against the slave trade.


Reports

The Committee of the African Institution produced a series of annual ''Reports'', from 1807 to 1824.


First Report (1807)

In its first report, presented on 15 July 1807, "The committee expressed its view that the people of Africa were sunk in ignorance and barbarism and took for itself the task of introducing the blessings of civilisation to what they viewed as constituting a quarter of the habitable globe.".


Second Report (1808)

The second report starts with the announcement of a series of prizes valued at 50 Guineas for the being the first person to import from West Africa to Great Britain the following quantities of goods: ::One Ton of marketable
Cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
::100 weight of
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::Ten Tons of White Rice :A further 50 Guinea prize was offered to the person who put the most land in West Africa under
Coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
cultivation, as long as it was at least ten acres.


Third Report (1809)

In its third report, presented 25 March 1809, the directors reported that three African youths had received training in a new educational procedure developed at the Duke of York's Royal Military School from techniques developed in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Thanks to the intervention of the
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, the youths participated as teacher at the Asylum before being sent to
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
, where they were employed as teachers by the
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet-level position responsible for the army and the British colonies (other than India). The Secretary was supported by an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. Hist ...
, the
Earl of Liverpool Earl of Liverpool is a title that has been created twice in British history. The first time was in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1796 for Charles Jenkinson, 1st Baron Hawkesbury, a favourite of King George III (see Jenkinson baronets for e ...
. One of the skills it was hoped they would introduce to Sierra Leone was cotton cultivation.


Fourth Report (1810)

Fourth Report of the Committee of the African Institution
presented 28 March 1810: :The Directors expressed concern that British slave traders were continuing in their trade but escaping British laws by adopting Swedish and Spanish flags of convenience.


Fifth Report (1811)

Fifth Report of the Directors of the African Institution
presented 27 March 1811: :The directors with dismay reported the continuing activity of British and American ships continuing to pursue the slave trade using Portuguese and Spanish flags of convenience. They identified British capital and credit playing a large part in this considerable trade. Through Henry Brougham MP they initiated a discussion in the
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followed by the introduction of a bill to make it easier to prosecute British nationals using flags of convenience to avoid prosecution at the Vice-Admiralty courts set up in Sierra Leone.


Sixth Report (1812)

Sixth Report of the Committee of the African Institution
presented at the Freemasons' Tavern, London 25 March 1812: :The directors reported with concern that they had previously underestimated the growth in the slave trade providing an estimate of 70-80,000 enslaved Africans being transported across the Atlantic in 1810. They highlighted the role of the port of
Bissau Bissau () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. it had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, its administr ...
in this development.


Seventh Report (1813)

Seventh Report of the Committee of the African Institution
presented at the Freemasons' Tavern, London 24 March 1813: :The directors were pleased to report that there had been a decline in the slave trade and expressed their gratitude to the efforts of two naval officers: Commodore Frederick Paul Irby and Captain Edward Scobell


Eighth Report (1814)

Report of the Directors of the African Institution
presented 23 March 1814: :The directors reported on their concern with outstanding legal cases concerning the seizure of Portuguese ships engaged in the slave trade. They again commended Captain Irby of HMS ''Amelia'' and Captain Scobell of HMS ''Thais'' for their active involvement with suppressing the slave trade as part of the West Africa Squadron. They noted the action taken against a slave factory at
Cape Mesurado Cape Mesurado, also called Cape Montserrado, is a headland on the coast of Liberia near the capital Monrovia and the mouth of the Saint Paul River. It was named Cape Mesurado by Portuguese sailors in the 1560s. It is the promontory on which Afri ...


Ninth Report (1815)

Ninth Report of the Directors of the African Institution
presented London 12 April 1815: :The Directors expressed their delight with the sentiment expressed by the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
that the slave trade constituted "the desolation of Africa, the degradation of Europe and the afflicting scourge of humanity." However when this was not implemented immediately through the Treaty of Paris (1814), they expressed their disappointment. They pointed out that as there was no French Capital invested in the Slave trade, the delay of introducing a ban on the slave trade for five years amounted to an introduction of the slave trade to France.


Special Report, 1815

A ''Special Report'' was produced in 1815 to rebut an attack on the Institution by Robert Thorpe. The seventh annual report had noted a deterioration of conditions in Sierra Leone, yet had made upbeat comments about all involved. Concerned parties— William Allen and John Clarkson—expressed disquiet, while Thorpe made unmeasured criticisms, pamphleteering and targeting
Zachary Macaulay Zachary Macaulay (; 2 May 1768 – 13 May 1838) was a Scottish statistician and abolitionist who was a founder of London University and of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, and a Governor of British Sierra Leone. Early life Macaulay wa ...
. Henry Brougham headed an internal enquiry at the beginning of 1814, with Wilberforce, Macaulay and Thomas Clarkson. The outcome was that Thomas Perronet Thompson, governor in Sierra Leone and at odds with leading
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
s, who had already been removed in 1810, was roundly criticised.


Twelfth Report, 1818

Twelfth Report of the Directors of the African Institution
presented on 9 April 1818: :The Directors restated their fears that the activities of the West Africa Squadron in suppressing the slave trade might be severally constrained following the outbreak of peace. This, they confirmed had happened, recounting the judgement of William Scott concerning the French ship ''Le Lois''. had seized ''Le Lois'' and the Vice Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone had condemned the ship and her cargo. However, when the owners appealed to the High Court of Admiralty, Scott overturned the previous judgement saying that the way ''Le Lois'' had been stopped and boarded was illegal as "No nation can exercise a right of visitation and search on the common and unappropriated parts of the sea, save only on the belligerent claim." He accepted that this would constitute a serious impediment to the suppression of the slave trade, but argued that this should be remedied through international treaties rather than naval officers exceeding what they were permitted to do.


Sixteenth Report (1822)

Sixteenth Report of the Directors of the African Institution
presented 10 May 1822: :The report was delivered to a meeting of over 1,500 people. After a motion of thanks to the Directors, this meeting passed a motion that they would emplore the British government to ensure that the slave trade should be declared piracy by the "concurrent sentence of all nations".


Anti-Slavery Society (1823)

The Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Dominions, usually known as the "Anti-Slavery Society", was set up in 1823. Its leadership overlapped substantially with that of the African Institution. It involved James Cropper and Thomas Babington Macaulay, and was somewhat more open in approach.


Dormancy and demise

The ''Twentieth Report'' (1826) of the Institution concentrated on being informative, rather than summarising activity or raising funds. Wilberforce had retired. By about 1828 such activism as came from the underlying group was in practice being run by the Anti-Slavery Society.


References

{{Reflist


Further reading

* Ackerson, Kenneth Wayne. The African Institution (1807–1827) and the Antislavery Movement in Great Britain. E. Mellen Press. ISBN 978-0-7734-6129-1. * Sherwood, Henry Noble. "Pathfinder in Negro Colonization" ''The Journal of Negro History,'' Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr., 1923), 194–202. Article Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713609 * Wiggins, Rosalind C. "Paul and Stephen, Unlikely Friends" ''Quaker History,'' Vol. 90, No. 1, African-Americans and Quakers (Spring 2001), 8-27. Article Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41947772 1807 establishments in England Abolitionism in the United Kingdom