Entrance Exams : Political

Question 1

American war of independice

Answer 1

Result saw Britain lose a significant colony - in 1776 approx 20% of the population of the 13 American colones were of african descent.
The American revolutionaries professed notions of equality and the wrongs of keeping people in bondage for the benefit of a mother country, which became a popular topic in Britain. Which allowed the abolitionist movement to become more readily established.

Question 2

Napoleon and the British slave tarde

Answer 2

Reintroduction of the slave trade in 1802 - oppposing the slave trade now became a symbol of patriotic duty
Didn’t transform public opinion rather reinforced it

Question 3

French revolution and napoleonic wars

Answer 3

The British classes were sensitive to the revolutionary sentiment so given the french had abolished slavery the British abolitionists were kept under very close watch - wilberforce found it increasingly difficult to win support of fellow mp’s 1794-1802 and was referred to as a ‘jacobin’ .

Question 4

Seditious meetings act

Answer 4

1795

Question 5

Haitian Revolution

Answer 5

Level of mortalities -12000 people killed
Sparked fear in Britain’s own colonies as freed men travelled to the americas and the Caribbean and passed on the word of revolt.
After 1791: Grenada, St Vincent and St Lucia slave revolts
Abolitionists felt to be in support of the slave revolts

Question 6

Reaction to the Haitain Revolution

Answer 6

In Jamaica after 1792 the colonial assembly resolved to abandon the use fo metal collars for shackling slaves together and also the use of mutilation for punishment. It was hoped that these changes would restore colonial order
By 1793 the island had 3000 which effectively neutralised the threat of rebel loom.

Question 7

Examples of uprisings Britain face

Answer 7

British Virgin Islands 1790 but were subdued by militia
Given the poor treatment there was growing fear of increasing revolts and the cost of subduing these events was both financially substantial and inconvenient.
The crop economies would take time to recover and therefore a practical realisation of the continuation of this practice would incur further cost .