Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, London W1T 6AQ
150 years ago, in December 1865, chattel slavery was abolished in the United States at the end of a four year Civil War. $3 billion dollars of property, in 1860s prices, was expropriated without compensation – and four million human beings were liberated from being property. Yet when the war began, both sides, North and South, said they would preserve slavery. What changed?
The US ruling class started to feel it could not win the war without touching slavery. But there was also pressure from below. One thing was mass action by the slaves themselves, forcing their way into the conflict and helping to transform it into a battle against slavery. Another was the growing strength of anti-slavery and anti-racist movements in the North.
A little known side of this story is is the inspiring solidarity of the British working class.
Faced with a government that wanted to intervene militarily in favour of the slave-owners, thousands of British workers across the country mobilised in mass protests against intervention and against slavery. Their action helped the struggle in America win, revived the British labour movement and had enormous consequences for politics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Sacha Ismail, author of a new pamphlet about this, "Workers Against Slavery", will lead a discussion.