Am I Not a Man and a Brother?
Am I Not a Man and a Brother?
This chapter examines the impact of the mixed commissions in granting freedom to slaves. It explores the help provided by slave trade tribunals to their intended beneficiaries. Like many legal regimes, the international regime for the suppression of the slave trade had many consequences. The regime achieved their goal to help victims of the slave trade preserve the freedom of the millions of Africans. But along the way, many Africans were harmed. Some were crowded onto ships in worse conditions than they might normally have endured, as slavers tried to optimize the value of each voyage while evading capture. Some died of disease as courts took too long to decide cases. The slaves themselves rarely appeared in legal proceedings as claimants of rights. Instead, they were silent bystanders and only occasionally gave testimony. In sum, the mixed commissions delivered imperfect justice at its best.
Keywords: slave emancipation, slave trade tribunals, African slaves, mixed commissions, international regime
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