*In fact, more Irish were sold as slaves to the American colonies and plantations from 1651 to 1660 than the total existing “free” population of the Americas!
*Although the Africans and Irish were housed together and were the property of the planter owners, the Africans received much better treatment, food and housing. In the British West Indies the planters routinely tortured white slaves for any infraction. Owners would hang Irish slaves by their hands and set their hands or feet afire as a means of punishment. To end this barbarity, Colonel William Brayne wrote to English authorities in 1656 urging the importation of Negro slaves on the grounds that, "as the planters would have to pay much more for them, they would have an interest in preserving their lives, which was wanting in the case of (Irish)...." many of whom, he charged, were killed by overwork and cruel treatment. African Negroes cost generally about 20 to 50 pounds Sterling, compared to 900 pounds of cotton (about 5 pounds Sterling) for an Irish. They were also more durable in the hot climate, and caused fewer problems. The biggest bonus with the Africans though, was they were NOT Catholic, and any heathen pagan was better than an Irish Papist. Irish prisoners were commonly sentenced to a term of service, so theoretically they would eventually be free. In practice, many of the slavers sold the Irish on the same terms as prisoners for servitude of 7 to 10 years.
I highly encourage all readers to take the time to read this essay by James F. Cavanaugh.
UPDATE: Tommy DeSeno has "called shenanigans" on Cavanaugh's asserton that more Irish were sold as slaves to the American colonies and plantations from 1651 to 1660 than the total existing “free” population of the Americas.
I found another source that is written in a more schorlary fashion with citiations and references. ENGLAND'S IRISH SLAVES, by Robert E. West, PEC Illinois State Director Regarding the period 1651-1660, West writes:
Estimates vary between 80,000 and 130,000 regarding the
amount of Irish sent into slavery in America and the West Indies
during the years of 1651 - 1660: Prendergast says 80,000(17);
Boudin 100,000(18); Emmet 120,000 to 130,000(19); Lingard 60,000
up until 1656(20); and Condon estimates "the number of Irish
transported to the British colonies in America from 1651 - 1660
exceeded the total number of their inhabitants at that period, a
fact which ought not to be lost sight of by those who undertake
to estimate the strength of the Celtic element in this
nation..."(21)
There is no way to ascertain infallible statistics about this. Cavanaugh argues that things may have been much worse than he found, as records of the Irish were often not kept.
While I don't want to purport myths, ala the Holocaust didn't happen movement, nor do I want to quibble over non-verifiable statistics.
Does anyone know what the population of the New World was 1651-1660?
UPDATE 2:
JustifiedRight.com said...
Art,
The best I could find on the population of the Americas in 1650 is 18 million.
Even if 2/3rds were slaves, that leaves 6 million free.
6 million is the current population of Irland.
The highest number from any of the sources in your post was 130,000 Irish slaves.
For that quote to be right, the Americas would have had to have 17,870,000 slaves, and 130,000 free people.
Its just a completely rediculous claim he made.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:45:00 AM
Art Gallagher said...
Tom,
Thanks for the rigor you bring to the conversation. Cavanaugh's claim may well be wrong and/or he may have misinterpreted his research. It is more likely that the number of Irish slaves exceeded the number of free people in the West Indies, not the entire New World.
The Irish are known to exaggerate, but I would never do that. :-)
Posts
8 comments:
"*In fact, more Irish were sold as slaves to the American colonies and plantations from 1651 to 1660 than the total existing “free” population of the Americas!"
I'm calling Shenanigans, Art.
There's only 6 million people in Ireland today.
How many does this guy think were taken from Ireland in only 9 years?
I'm Irish. I don't intend on joining the pissing contest over whose ancestors had it the hardest. Our people have had to overcome hardships to get where we are today. Suffice to say, we've done well enough not to worry about being unrecognized for past suffering.
Now, if you can figure out how to turn this into another drinking holiday, maybe I'll listen to more.
Lugar96
Tommy....
In the 12 year period during and following the Confederation revolt, from 1641 to 1652, over 550,000 Irish were killed by the English and 300,000 were sold as slaves, as the Irish population of Ireland fell from 1,466,000 to 616,000. Banished soldiers were not allowed to take their wives and children with them, and naturally, the same for those sold as slaves. The result was a growing population of homeless women and children, who being a public nuisance, were likewise rounded up and sold. But the worse was yet to come.
Give it a read.
Lugar96....Since when did we need a holiday? :-)
So then you are asserting there were less than 300,000 free people in North and South America between 1651 and 1660?
I say again - Shenanigans.
So then you are asserting there were less than 300,000 free people in North and South America between 1651 and 1660?
I'm not asserting anything. I wasn't there.
You are quoting the guy making the outrageous claim.
Same thing.
Art,
The best I could find on the population of the Americas in 1650 is 18 million.
Even if 2/3rds were slaves, that leaves 6 million free.
6 million is the current population of Irland.
The highest number from any of the sources in your post was 130,000 Irish slaves.
For that quote to be right, the Americas would have had to have 17,870,000 slaves, and 130,000 free people.
Its just a completely rediculous claim he made.
Tom,
Thanks for the rigor you bring to the conversation. Cavanaugh's claim may well be wrong and/or he may have misinterpreted his research. It is more likely that the number of Irish slaves exceeded the number of free people in the West Indies, not the entire New World.
The Irish are known to exaggerate, but I would never do that. :-)
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