World Anti-Slavery Convention

The World Anti-Slavery Convention met for the first time at Exeter Hall in London, on 12–23 June 1840.[2] It was organised by the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, largely on the initiative of the English Quaker Joseph Sturge.[2][3] The exclusion of women from the convention gave a great impetus to the women's suffrage movement in the United States.[4]

1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention.[1] Move your cursor to identify delegates or click the icon to enlarge

Background
Engraving depicting the exterior of Exeter Hall, reproduced on a 1909 postcard.
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The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade (officially Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade) was principally a Quaker society founded in 1787 by 12 men, nine of whom were Quakers and three Anglicans, one of whom was Thomas Clarkson. Thanks to their efforts, the international slave trade was abolished throughout the British Empire with the passing of the Slave Trade Act 1807. The Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Dominions, in existence from 1823 to 1838, helped to bring about the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, advocated by William Wilberforce, which abolished slavery in the British Empire from August 1834, when some 800,000 people in the British empire became free.[5]

Similarly, in the 1830s many women and men in America acted on their religious convictions and moral outrage to become a part of the abolitionist movement. Many women in particular responded to William Lloyd Garrison's invitation to become involved in the American Anti-Slavery Society. They were heavily involved, attending meetings and writing petitions. Arthur Tappan and other conservative members of the society objected to women engaging in politics publicly.[6]

Given the perceived need for a society to campaign for anti-slavery worldwide, the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (BFASS) was accordingly founded in 1839.[2] One of its first significant deeds was to organise the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840: "Our expectations, we confess, were high, and the reality did not disappoint them."[7] The preparations for this event had begun in 1839, when the Society circulated an advertisement inviting delegates to participate in the convention.[2] Over 200 of the official delegates were British. The next largest group was the Americans, with around 50 delegates. Only small numbers of delegates from other nations attended.[2]

Benjamin Robert Haydon painted The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840, a year after the event[6] that today is in the National Portrait Gallery. This very large and detailed work shows Alexander as Treasurer of the new Society.[8] The painting portrays the 1840 meeting and was completed the next year.[1] The new society's mission was "The universal extinction of slavery and the slave trade and the protection of the rights and interests of the enfranchised population in the British possessions and of all persons captured as slaves."[8][9]

The question of women's participation

The circular message, distributed in 1839, provoked a controversial response from some American opponents of slavery. The Garrisonian faction supported the participation of women in the anti-slavery movement. They were opposed by the supporters of Arthur and Lewis Tappan. When the latter group sent a message to the BFASS opposing the inclusion of women, a second circular was issued in February 1840 which explicitly stated that the meeting was limited to "gentlemen".[2]

Despite the statement that women would not be admitted, many American and British female abolitionists, including Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lady Byron, appeared at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London. The American Anti-Slavery Society, the Garrisonian faction, made a point to include a woman, Lucretia Mott, and an African American, Charles Lenox Remond, in their delegation.[10] Both the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Societies sent women members as their delegates.[10] Cady Stanton was not herself a delegate; she was in England on her honeymoon, accompanying her husband Henry Stanton, who was a delegate. (Notably, he was aligned with the American faction that opposed women's equality.)[10] Wendell Phillips proposed that female delegates should be admitted, and much of the first day of the convention was devoted to discussing whether they should be allowed to participate.[2] Published reports from the convention noted "The upper end and one side of the room were appropriated to ladies, of whom a considerable number were present, including several female abolitionist from the United States." The women were allowed to watch and listen from the spectators gallery but could not take part.[6]

In sympathy with the excluded women, the Americans William Garrison, Charles Lenox Remond, Nathaniel P. Rogers, and William Adams refused to take their seat as delegates as well, and joined the women in the spectator's gallery.

Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who eight years later organized the Seneca Falls Convention, met at this convention.

Proceedings (incomplete)

The convention's organising committee had asked the Reverend Benjamin Godwin to prepare a paper on the ethics of slavery.[11] The convention unanimously accepted his paper, which condemned not just slavery but also the world's religious leaders and every community who had failed to condemn the practise. The convention resolved to write to every religious leader to share this view. The convention called on every religious communities to eject any supporters of slavery from their midst.[12]

George William Alexander reported on his visits in 1839, with James Whitehorn, to Sweden and the Netherlands to discuss the conditions of slaves in the Dutch colonies and in Suriname. In Suriname, he reported, there were over 100,000 slaves with an annual attrition rate of twenty per cent. The convention prepared open letters of protest to the respective sovereigns.[7]

Joseph Pease spoke and accused the British government of being complicit in the continuing existence of slavery in India.[13]

Legacy

After leaving the convention on the first day, being denied full access to the proceedings, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton "walked home arm in arm, commenting on the incidents of the day, [and] we resolved to hold a convention as soon as we returned home, and form a society to advocate the rights of women." Eight years later they hosted the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York.[9]

One hundred years later, the Women's Centennial Congress was held in America to celebrate the progress that women had made since they were prevented from speaking at this conference.

Incomplete list of delegates (and women who attended)

The official list of delegates has 493 names.[14]

DelegateCountryIn painting?Comments
AdamProf William AdamUKvery top rightProfessor
AdeyEdward AdeyUKvery far rightBaptist Minister
AlexaGeorge William AlexanderUKleftFinancier
Allen RichRichard AllenIrelandrightPhilanthropist
Allen StaffStafford AllenUKleft midPhilanthropist
Allen WiWilliam AllenUKfront mid leftScientist
BainesSir Edward BainesUKleftMember of Parliament
BaldwEdward BaldwinUKright frontFormer Attorney-General of New South Wales
BanniSaxe BannisterUKrightPamphleteer
Barrett EdEdward (Jonas) BarrettUSfar rightFormer Slave
Barrett RiRichard BarrettJamaicavery far right
BassIsaac BassUKfar right
BeckHenry BeckfordJamaicafront centreFormer Slave
Beaumont AbAbraham BeaumontUKleft
Beaumont JMrs John BeaumontUKfront far right
Beaumont WWilliam BeaumontUKleft
BenneGeorge BennettUKright front
BinneRev. Dr. Thomas BinneyUKfar rightMinister
BirneyJames Gillespie BirneyUSleftAttorney
Birt JoJohn BirtUSback far right
BlackhoJonathan BackhouseUKleftBanker
BlairW. T. BlairUKmid
BoultWilliam BoulbeeUKfar right
BowlySamuel BowlyUKfar left backAdvocate
BradbGeorge BradburnUSleftMinister
BrockWilliam BrockUKright of centreMinister
BurneJohn BurnetUKmidMinister
ByronAnne Isabella, Lady ByronUKbonneted far right
CadbuTapper CadburyUKright back rowBusinessman
Clarkson MMary ClarksonUKbonnet leftSpeaker's daughter in law
Clarkson ThThomas ClarksonUKmain speakerAbolitionist Speaker
ColvNathaniel ColverUSrightMinister
CondJosiah ConderUK?Author
ConnDaniel O'ConnellIrelandfar leftMember of Parliament
Cox FFrancis Augustus CoxUKleftMinister
CrewIsaac CrewdsonUKback rowMinister
CroppeJohn CropperUKright frontPhilanthropist
Dawes WWilliam DawesUKfar leftRoyal Marine Officer
DeanJames DeanUS??Professor
Eardley WSir John Eardley-Wilmot, 1st BaronetUKmid leftMember of Parliament
EatoJoseph EatonUK?
Ellis JJohn EllisUKfar rightMember of Parliament
Forster WWilliam ForsterUKfrontMinister
Forster JJosiah ForsterUKfront mid rightPhilanthropist
GarrisonWm. Lloyd GarrisonUSnoJournalist, publisher
GurneSamuel GurneyUKunder speakerBanker
HeadGeorge Head HeadUKFront rightBanker
IsamFrançois-André IsambertFrancemidLawyer
KeepRev. John KeepUS?Minister; trustee of Oberlin College
KnibbWilliam KnibbJamaicafront mid rightMinister
PrescodSamuel Jackman PrescodBarbadosfront middleJournalist
MorganWilliam MorganUKmiddle frontLawyer
MorganWilliam Harris MurchUKyesMinister
ScobJohn ScobleCanadafront rightLawyer
KetlJoseph KetleyGuyanafront rightMinister
StaceyGeorge StaceyUKfrontMinister
ThompsGeorge ThompsonUK & USfront mid rightMember of Parliament
TredgJ. Harfield TredgoldSouth Africaunder speakerChemist
LushiStephen LushingtonUKleftMember of Parliament
Fowell BSir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st BaronetUKleftMember of Parliament
GodwBenjamin GodwinUKmidMinister
MoorsVice Admiral Constantine Richard MoorsomUKleftRoyal Navy Officer
TaylorWilliam TaylorUKmid
MorriJohn MorrisonUKmid
PrincDr George PrinceUK?
SoulJoseph SoulUK???Reformer
SturgJoseph SturgeUKleft frontMinister
WhitehJames WhitehorneJamaica?
MarriJoseph MarriageUKleft front
LeathWilliam LeathamUKleftBanker
Lucas SSamuel LucasUKleftJournalist
Fox SSamuel FoxUKleft back
LecesLouis Celeste LecesneUKleft back
GreviRobert GrevilleUKfar leftBotanist
Pease JoJoseph PeaseUKleftMinister
TatumWilliam TatumUKright
WebbRichard D. WebbIrelandrightPublisher
ScalesRev. Thomas ScalesUKright frontMinister
James WWilliam JamesUKrightMinister
WilsonWilliam WilsonUKright
Swan TRev. Thomas SwanUKrightBaptist Minister
SteaneRev. Edward SteaneUKrightMinister
Miller JColonel Jonathon MillerUSright frontUnited States Army Officer
StuartCaptain Charles StuartJamaicarightRoyal Navy Officer
JeremSir John JeremieColoniesright of centreJudge
StowCharles StovelUKfar right frontMinister
PeekRichard PeekUKfar right frontSheriff of London
SturgeJohn SturgeUKfar rightOrganiser's brother
Forster RRobert ForsterUKvery far rightPhilanthropist
GalushElon GalushaUSrightLawyer
GrosvCyrus Pitt GrosvenorUSfar rightMinister
SterrHenry Sterry (committee)UKfar right
ClarPeter ClareUKfar right
Johnson JRev. J.H. JohnsonUKfar right
PriceDr. Thomas PriceUKfar right
ReynoJoseph ReynoldsUKfar right
WheeleSamuel WheelerUKfar right
Johnson JWiliam FairbankUKfar right
PriceRev. John WoodmarkUKfar right
ReynoWilliam SmealUKfar rightMinister
Carlile JJames CarlileIrelandfar rightMinister
Hinton JJohn Howard HintonUKfar rightMinister
James JJohn Angell JamesIrelandfar rightMinister
Cooper JJoseph CooperUKfar right
MaddenDr. Richard Robert MaddenIreland/ Jamaicafar rightDoctor
BulleyAlderman Thomas BulleyUKfar right
HodgeIsaac HodgsonUKfar right
Smith EEdward SmithUKfar right
BowringSir John BowringUKfar rightMember of Parliament
KnightAnne KnightUKbonneted far rightWright
LesterC. Edwards LesterUSfar rightWriter
PinchThomas Pinches?far right
TurnbDavid TurnbullUKfar rightAuthor
SteerJohn SteerUKvery far right
TuckeHenry TuckettUKvery far right
Mott JJames Mott[15]USvery far rightMerchant
Rathbone RRichard RathboneUKvery far rightBusinessman
Phillips WWendell PhillipsUSvery far rightAttorney
L'InsM. L'InstantHaitifront far right
Stanton HHenry StantonUSfront far rightAttorney
Thredgold EliMrs Elizabeth TredgoldSouth Africanback row right
McDonnT.M. McDonnellUKvery far rightMinister
Rawson MMary Anne RawsonUKfar right
PeaseElizabeth PeaseUKvery far rightSuffragist
PostJacob PostUKvery far rightMinister
Opie AAmelia OpieUKfront far rightNovelist
Morgan ThRev. Thomas MorganUKmid rightMinister
StantonElizabeth Cady Stanton[16] US No married to Henry Stanton
Reid, Elizabeth JesserElizabeth Jesser Reid??NoUK philanthropist
Townshend, Norton Strange Norton Strange TownshendUSNoDoctor
Harvey, A Rev. A Harvey[17]UKNoMinister
Grew MMary Grew[15]USNoUS delegate (refused a main seat)
Mott LLucretia Mott[15]USNo(refused a main seat)
Wigham EEliza WighamUKNoScottish leader (refused a main seat)
South AAbby Southwick[15]USNo(refused a main seat)
Grew HHenry Grew[15]USNoTeacher
Ashurst EElizabeth Ann Ashurst Bardonneau[18]UKNo
Ashurst WWilliam H. Ashurst[19]UKNoSolicitor
Strickland GeoSir George Strickland, 7th Baronet[20]UKNoMember of Parliament
Hodgkin ThomaThomas Hodgkin[21]UKNoDoctor
Busfield WillWilliam Busfield[21]UKNoMember of Parliament
Lister Ellis CunliEllis Cunliffe Lister[21]UKNoMember of Parliament
Smith GerrGerrit Smith[21]UKNoPhilanthropist
Fuller James CJames Canning Fuller[21]USNo
May Samuel JSamuel Joseph May[21]USNoMinister
Whittier John GJohn Greenleaf Whittier[21]USNoPoet
Hanbury CornCornelius Manning[21]UKNoPhilanthropist
Villiers ChCharles Pelham Villiers[21]UKNoMember of Parliament
Biggs MatMatilda Ashurst Biggs[22]UKNo
Townsend LucyLucy Townsend[23]UKNo
NeallElizabeth Neall[15]USNo
Phillips AAnn Greene Phillips[15]USNo
Remond CharCharles Lenox Remond[24]USNoFree man
Rogers NatNathaniel Peabody Rogers[24]USNoPublisher
Wiffen BBBenjamin Barron Wiffen[25]UKNoBusinessman
Winslow EEmily Winslow[15]USNo
Winslow IIsaac Winslow[15]USNoPolitician

References
  1. The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840, Benjamin Robert Haydon, 1841, National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG599, Given by British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1880
  2. McDaniel, W. Caleb (2007). "World's Anti-Slavery Convention". In Peter P. Hinks; John R. McKivigan; R. Owen Williams (eds.). Encyclopedia of Antislavery and Abolition. 2. Greenwood. pp. 760–762. ISBN 978-0313331442.
  3. Maynard 1960, p. 452.
  4. Sklar 1990, p. 453.
  5. Slavery and Abolition, ODNB, accessed 10 July 2008 [dead link - needs investigation]
  6. "Women and the American Story: 1840 London Anti-Slavery Convention" (PDF). New York Historical Society. 2017.
  7. The Dublin Magazine, 1840 accessed 13 July 2008
  8. "> The Baptist Magazine, 786, 1854, accessed 10 July 2008
  9. "1840 London Anti-Slavery Convention" (PDF). New York Historical Society Museum & Library. 2017.
  10. Sinha, Manisha,. The slave's cause : a history of abolition. New Haven. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-300-18137-1. OCLC 920017303.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. Paper presented to the General Anti-Slavery Convention, Rev. Benjamin Godwin, 1840
  12. The Baptist Magazine, page 374, retrieved 24 July 2014
  13. Madhavi Kale (1 January 1998). Fragments of Empire: Capital, Slavery, and Indian Indentured Labor Migration in the British Caribbean. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 120. ISBN 0-8122-3467-7.
  14. British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (1840). "Convention, June 12th, 1840". JSTOR 60228328. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. Mary Grew, Abolitionist and Feminist, 1813–1896, accessed 19 July 2008
  16. "Women's Rights". www.americaslibrary.gov. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  17. DOCUMENT 4 (1: 53–62): World's Anti-Slavery Convention, London, England, June 1840, accessed February 2013
  18. Jonathan Spain, ‘Ashurst, Elizabeth Ann [Eliza] (c.1814–1850)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 30 July 2015
  19. Matthew Lee, ‘Ashurst, William Henry (bap. 1791?, d. 1855)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 30 July 2015
  20. BFASS Convention 1840, List of delegates, Retrieved 2 August 2015
  21. BFASS Convention 1840, List of delegates, Retrieved 27 August 2015
  22. Jonathan Spain, ‘Biggs, Matilda Ashurst (1816/17–1866)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2011 accessed 30 July 2015
  23. Clare Midgley, ‘Townsend , Lucy (1781–1847)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 30 July 2015
  24. [A Collection from the Miscellaneous Writings of Nathaniel Peabody Rogers], N.P.Rogers, 1949, p106, accessed April 2009
  25. Truman, R. W. "Wiffen, Benjamin Barron". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29361. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Sources
  • Maynard, Douglas H. (1960). "The World's Anti-Slavery Convention of 1840". The Mississippi Valley Historical Review. 47 (3): 452–471. doi:10.2307/1888877. JSTOR 1888877.
  • Sklar, Kathryn Kish (1990). ""Women Who Speak for an Entire Nation": American and British Women Compared at the World Anti-Slavery Convention, London, 1840". Pacific Historical Review. 59 (4): 453–499. doi:10.2307/3640236. JSTOR 3640236.

Further reading
  • Kennon, D. R. (1984). "'An apple of discord': The woman question at the world's anti‐slavery convention of 1840". Slavery & Abolition. 5 (3): 244–266. doi:10.1080/01440398408574876.
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