Napoleon restored slavery when France protected the slave trade and colluded with the press

In a bimonthly episode of colonial history in Africa, as noted by newspapers at the time, French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur, in collaboration with Retronews, publishes an article on the slave trade and how France, with the complicity of the press, protected it as an economic blessing.

The magazine said that France justified the restoration of slavery in 1802 after it was abolished in 1794 by saying that "slavery is useful no matter what horror accompanies it." The slave trade at the time was an economic blessing for the country, as witnessed by newspapers on that date.

In an article for the magazine, Don Boye wrote that the appendix of the "business newspaper" listed somewhat sinisterly and in detail the findings of the booming business, which says the total of the black slaves bought by Britain was 53,000, as did America. Northern 6300, France 23 thousand, the Netherlands 11300, Portugal 8700, Denmark 1200, a total of about 104 thousand Negroes.

The triangular trade between Europe, Africa and America was a win-win situation for all countries, with the English, Americans, French and Dutch competing strongly on the African coast, and where ships wanted to be filled to make the campaign profitable.

The newspaper defends French interests, saying that "the main reason that led to the fall of the branches of maritime trade is the competition of foreigners on the coast of Guinea," noting the presence of English and Dutch "to bring their niggers into our colonies."

The problem of fugitive Negroes
This "booming trade" is not without some risks, says the "business newspaper", condemning the crash of some boats destroyed by the slave uprising on the coast, and only one of the crew survived the captain, president and artillery.

A trader's letter reveals how much fear they were living in. "We live in constant fear; part of these fugitive Negroes met in the forest and in the mountains, Negroes who were stripped of sugar land (...) were killed in the most brutal way in Feral Farms ... I hope a large number of good guns are sent, because we are in a very critical situation, and we cannot buy one on this island. "

When the French Revolution of 1789, calls for the abolition of slavery emerged, with the proclamation of human and citizen rights. When these rumors spread, a La Rochelle citizen sent a disturbing message saying that this proposal puts all the trade of his city at risk and adds with sorrow " Can he count the number of people who feed on imports of colonial goods from nigger sales? "

The news is awesome
Under the headline "The news from San Domingo is appalling. 200 farms burned and 300 eggs slaughtered," the newspaper "Provence" reports some of the events of the slave revolt in San Domingo in 1791 that shocked France.

"168,000 Negroes are in rebellion. 1,200 residents and rulers have been killed. Negroes have taken for themselves a master they call King Janat. They are stealing and they don't shy away. They kill men and keep only white women."

The abolition of slavery in San Domingo was carried out by rebel slaves. Jean Baptiste, the first black deputy in the National Assembly, caused a sensation, and the abolition of slavery was voted on in February 1794 in all French colonies.

But France's first abolition of slavery was somewhat brief, as Napoleon Bonaparte, who was appointed consul after the 1799 coup, turned against Toussaint Louverture from his eye on San Domingo, and called for a vote on the restoration of slavery in 1802.

It is no wonder that France is a little embarrassed when its rival and neighbor England voted to abolish slavery in 1833, but the French press evokes the economic impact of the subject, as in the newspaper "Constitutional", which says that "England will bear to abolish slavery in 1833." Without prejudice to existing interests, debts amount to 500 million dollars. "

After France's abolition of slavery in 1848, Constitutionalism said that "the abolition of slavery actually disrupted the country's supply," with a "one-third reduction in colonial production," and the newspaper "Saint-Cantin" denounced "inappropriate feelings" of the government that Killed colonial production. "

Settlement Compensation
But the most dissatisfied are those who directly benefit from slavery; like farmers, the government has given them 90 million to hire paid workers instead of their former slaves.

"The terms of compensation are not generous enough," the Lyon newspaper said. "There is recognition that the emancipation of slaves, as the interim government did, was hasty, wasted our colonies and destroyed the settlers without compensation."