När statskassan väger tyngre än människovärdet – Det svenska deltagandet i den transatlantiska slavhandeln från slutet på 1700-talet till mitten på 1800-talet
(2022) JURM02 20221Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract
- This essay aims to examine and analyze the discussions of the Swedish participation in the transatlantic slave trade at the end of the 18th century and the debate concerning the abolishment of the Swedish slave trade and slavery in the middle of the 19th century. To examine this topic, a legal historical method with an analytical element will be used.
When the Swedish lieutenant Ulrik Nordenskiöld submitted his publication about the establishment of a Swedish colony along the African west coast in 1776, slave trade and slavery was not in the picture although the transatlantic slave trade was a highly topical matter during that time. The Swedes had many dreams and outlined many projects. At the end of the day, none of these projects were... (More) - This essay aims to examine and analyze the discussions of the Swedish participation in the transatlantic slave trade at the end of the 18th century and the debate concerning the abolishment of the Swedish slave trade and slavery in the middle of the 19th century. To examine this topic, a legal historical method with an analytical element will be used.
When the Swedish lieutenant Ulrik Nordenskiöld submitted his publication about the establishment of a Swedish colony along the African west coast in 1776, slave trade and slavery was not in the picture although the transatlantic slave trade was a highly topical matter during that time. The Swedes had many dreams and outlined many projects. At the end of the day, none of these projects were brought to real existence. King Gustav III on the other hand succeeded in acquiring the West Indian Island S:t Barthélemy in exchange for France receiving trading privileges in Gothenburg. King Gustav III and the kings after him, in comparison to the authors of the Swedish colonial dreams, did not prioritize human principles. Their goal seems to have been to maximize the revenue for the public treasury at the expense of the freedom of the black enslaved population. Unsuitable for plantation agriculture, S:t Barthélemy became a transit port for the regional slave markets in the Caribbean.
The substantial arguments that have been identified prioritize the economical aspect over human dignity. According to the Swedes that were residing in S:t Barthélemy, the slave trade was necessary. Abolishing the slave trade would result in the unemployment of thousands of people and it would cease the production of many important commodities. Great Britain and other European nations began one by one to abolish the slave trade and slavery in the beginning of the 19th century, and they did not let Sweden get away with its actions. Not just one, but several international agreements were signed in which Sweden undertook the obligation to end its slave trade. However, it was not until 1845 that the Riksdag of Estates convened to meetings of each estate to debate about the abolishment of the slave trade and slavery. A debate that according to the common man should have been based on moral and ethical principles, featured in several parts’ economic arguments. Argument such as that Sweden should sell the island and let the buying country carry out the slave emancipation, that the state committee chose the wrong fund to finance the purpose, that it was not allowed to violate the slave owners’ property rights and that the poor people in Sweden in fact had it far worse than the slaves living on the island were highlighted in the debate. At last, the king and the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates chose the most profitable alternative for the public treasury regarding the slave emancipation on S:t Barthélemy. The human dignity became a second priority. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka och analysera diskussionerna kring det svenska deltagandet i den transatlantiska slavhandeln i slutet på 1700-talet och debatten om avskaffandet av den svenska slavhandeln och slaveriet i mitten på 1800-talet. Detta görs med hjälp av en rättshistorisk metod med analytiskt inslag.
När den svenske löjtnanten Ulrik Nordenskiöld lämnade in sin skrift rörande etableringen av en svensk koloni längst Afrikas västkust år 1776, fanns slavhandel och slaveri inte med i bilden trots att den transatlantiska slavhandeln var högaktuell under den tiden. Svenskarna hade många drömmar och skissade på många projekt. I slutet på dagen realiserades inget av dessa projekt. Kung Gustav III å andra sidan lyckades... (More) - Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka och analysera diskussionerna kring det svenska deltagandet i den transatlantiska slavhandeln i slutet på 1700-talet och debatten om avskaffandet av den svenska slavhandeln och slaveriet i mitten på 1800-talet. Detta görs med hjälp av en rättshistorisk metod med analytiskt inslag.
När den svenske löjtnanten Ulrik Nordenskiöld lämnade in sin skrift rörande etableringen av en svensk koloni längst Afrikas västkust år 1776, fanns slavhandel och slaveri inte med i bilden trots att den transatlantiska slavhandeln var högaktuell under den tiden. Svenskarna hade många drömmar och skissade på många projekt. I slutet på dagen realiserades inget av dessa projekt. Kung Gustav III å andra sidan lyckades förvärva den västindiska ön S:t Barthélemy i utbyte mot att Frankrike erhöll handelsprivilegium i Göteborg. Kung Gustav III och kungarna efter honom, till skillnad från författarna till de svenska koloniala drömmarna, prioriterade inte mänskliga principer. Deras mål verkar till synes ha varit att maximera intäkterna till statskassan på bekostnad av den svarta förslavade befolkningens frihet. S:t Barthélemy som inte var en ö anpassad för plantagejordbruk blev en transithamn för regionala slavmarknader i Karibien.
De tydligt märkbara argumenten som identifierats ger den ekonomiska aspekten företräde framför människovärdet. Enligt de svenska undersåtarna på S:t Barthélemy var slavhandeln nödvändig. Ett avskaffande skulle leda till tusentals människors arbetslöshet och produktionen av flera viktiga råvaror skulle upphöra. Storbritannien och andra europeiska nationerna började en efter en att avskaffa slavhandeln och slaveriet i början på 1800-talet och de lät inte Sverige komma undan med sina handlingar. Inte endast en, utan flera internationella överenskommelser undertecknades, i vilka Sverige förband sig att upphöra med sin slavhandel. Det var emellertid inte förrän år 1845 som samtliga riksdagsständer sammankallade till enskilda sammanträdanden för att debattera avskaffandet av slavhandeln och slaveriet. En debatt som gemene man kan tycka bör ha grundat sig på moraliska och etiska principer, präglades i flera delar av ekonomiska argument. Argument i stil med att Sverige borde avyttra ön och att ett annat land fick verkställa slavemancipationen, att statsutskottet valt fel fond för att finansiera ändamålet, att slavägarnas äganderätt inte fick kränkas och att det svenska fattigfolket de facto hade det sämre ställt än slavarna på ön lyftes fram i debatten. Kungen i samverkan med Rikets Ständer valde till sist det mest förmånliga alternativet för statskassan för slavemancipationen på S:t Barthélemy. Människovärdet blev en sekundär prioritet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9096700
- author
- Chahrour, Fatma LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- When the public treasury weighs more than the human dignity – The Swedish participation in the transatlantic slave trade from the 18th century until the middle of the 19th century
- course
- JURM02 20221
- year
- 2022
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- Legal history, Slave trade, Slavery, Transatlantic slave trade, Sweden, S:t Barthélemy, Rättshistoria, Slavhandel, Slaveri, Transatlantiska slavhandeln, Sverige
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9096700
- date added to LUP
- 2022-09-05 08:59:33
- date last changed
- 2022-09-05 08:59:33
@misc{9096700,
abstract = {{This essay aims to examine and analyze the discussions of the Swedish participation in the transatlantic slave trade at the end of the 18th century and the debate concerning the abolishment of the Swedish slave trade and slavery in the middle of the 19th century. To examine this topic, a legal historical method with an analytical element will be used.
When the Swedish lieutenant Ulrik Nordenskiöld submitted his publication about the establishment of a Swedish colony along the African west coast in 1776, slave trade and slavery was not in the picture although the transatlantic slave trade was a highly topical matter during that time. The Swedes had many dreams and outlined many projects. At the end of the day, none of these projects were brought to real existence. King Gustav III on the other hand succeeded in acquiring the West Indian Island S:t Barthélemy in exchange for France receiving trading privileges in Gothenburg. King Gustav III and the kings after him, in comparison to the authors of the Swedish colonial dreams, did not prioritize human principles. Their goal seems to have been to maximize the revenue for the public treasury at the expense of the freedom of the black enslaved population. Unsuitable for plantation agriculture, S:t Barthélemy became a transit port for the regional slave markets in the Caribbean.
The substantial arguments that have been identified prioritize the economical aspect over human dignity. According to the Swedes that were residing in S:t Barthélemy, the slave trade was necessary. Abolishing the slave trade would result in the unemployment of thousands of people and it would cease the production of many important commodities. Great Britain and other European nations began one by one to abolish the slave trade and slavery in the beginning of the 19th century, and they did not let Sweden get away with its actions. Not just one, but several international agreements were signed in which Sweden undertook the obligation to end its slave trade. However, it was not until 1845 that the Riksdag of Estates convened to meetings of each estate to debate about the abolishment of the slave trade and slavery. A debate that according to the common man should have been based on moral and ethical principles, featured in several parts’ economic arguments. Argument such as that Sweden should sell the island and let the buying country carry out the slave emancipation, that the state committee chose the wrong fund to finance the purpose, that it was not allowed to violate the slave owners’ property rights and that the poor people in Sweden in fact had it far worse than the slaves living on the island were highlighted in the debate. At last, the king and the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates chose the most profitable alternative for the public treasury regarding the slave emancipation on S:t Barthélemy. The human dignity became a second priority.}},
author = {{Chahrour, Fatma}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{När statskassan väger tyngre än människovärdet – Det svenska deltagandet i den transatlantiska slavhandeln från slutet på 1700-talet till mitten på 1800-talet}},
year = {{2022}},
}