World Anti-Slavery Convention

The World Anti-Slavery Convention met for the first time at Exeter Hall in London, on 12–23 June 1840.^[2] It was organised by the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, largely on the initiative of the English Quaker Joseph Sturge.^[2][3] The exclusion of women from the convention gave a great impetus to the women's suffrage movement in the United States.^[4]

1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention.^[1] Move your cursor to identify delegates or click the icon to enlarge.

Background

Engraving depicting the exterior of Exeter Hall, reproduced on a 1909 postcard.

The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade (officially Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade) was principally a Quaker society founded in 1787 by 12 men, nine of whom were Quakers and three Anglicans, one of whom was Thomas Clarkson. Due to their efforts, the international slave trade was abolished throughout the British Empire with the passing of the Slave Trade Act 1807. The Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Dominions, in existence from 1823 to 1838, helped to bring about the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, advocated by William Wilberforce, which abolished slavery in the British Empire from August 1834, when some 800,000 people in the British empire became free.^[5]

Similarly, in the 1830s many women and men in America acted on their religious convictions and moral outrage to become a part of the abolitionist movement. Many women in particular responded to Wm. Lloyd Garrison's invitation to become involved in the American Anti-Slavery Society. They were heavily involved, attending meetings and writing petitions. Arthur Tappan and other conservative members of the society objected to women engaging in politics publicly.^[6]

Given the perceived need for a society to campaign for anti-slavery worldwide, the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (BFASS) was accordingly founded in 1839.^[2] One of its first significant deeds was to organise the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840: "Our expectations, we confess, were high, and the reality did not disappoint them."^{[7][page needed]} The preparations for this event had begun in 1839, when the Society circulated an advertisement inviting delegates to participate in the convention.^[2] Over 200 of the official delegates were British. The next largest group was the Americans, with around 50 delegates. Only small numbers of delegates from other nations attended.^[2]

Benjamin Robert Haydon painted The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840, a year after the event^[6] that today is in the National Portrait Gallery. This very large and detailed work shows Alexander as Treasurer of the new Society.^{[8][failed verification]} The painting portrays the 1840 meeting and was completed the next year.^[1] The new society's mission was "The universal extinction of slavery and the slave trade and the protection of the rights and interests of the enfranchised population in the British possessions and of all persons captured as slaves."^[8][9]

The question of women's participation

The circular message, distributed in 1839, provoked a controversial response from some American opponents of slavery. The Garrisonian faction supported the participation of women in the anti-slavery movement. They were opposed by the supporters of Arthur and Lewis Tappan. When the latter group sent a message to the BFASS opposing the inclusion of women, a second circular was issued in February 1840 which explicitly stated that the meeting was limited to "gentlemen".^[2]

Despite the statement that women would not be admitted, many American and British female abolitionists, including Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lady Byron, appeared at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London. The American Anti-Slavery Society, the Garrisonian faction, made a point to include a woman, Lucretia Mott, and an African American, Charles Lenox Remond, in their delegation.^[10] Both the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Societies sent women members as their delegates, including Abigail Kimber, Elizabeth Neall, Mary Grew, and Sarah Pugh.^[10] Cady Stanton was not herself a delegate; she was in England on her honeymoon, accompanying her husband Henry Brewster Stanton, who was a delegate. (Notably, he was aligned with the American faction that opposed women's equality.)^[10] Wendell Phillips proposed that female delegates should be admitted, and much of the first day of the convention was devoted to discussing whether they should be allowed to participate.^[2] Published reports from the convention noted "The upper end and one side of the room were appropriated to ladies, of whom a considerable number were present, including several female abolitionists from the United States." The women were allowed to watch and listen from the spectators gallery but could not take part.^[6]

In sympathy with the excluded women, the Americans William Garrison, Charles Lenox Remond, Nathaniel P. Rogers, and William Adams refused to take their seat as delegates as well, and joined the women in the spectators' gallery.

Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who eight years later organized the Seneca Falls Convention, met at this convention.

Proceedings (incomplete)

The convention's organising committee had asked the Reverend Benjamin Godwin to prepare a paper on the ethics of slavery.^[11] The convention unanimously accepted his paper, which condemned not just slavery but also the world's religious leaders and every community who had failed to condemn the practice. The convention resolved to write to every religious leader to share this view. The convention called on all religious communities to eject any supporters of slavery from their midst.^[12]

George William Alexander reported on his visits in 1839, with James Whitehorn, to Sweden and the Netherlands to discuss the conditions of slaves in the Dutch colonies and in Suriname. In Suriname, he reported, there were over 100,000 slaves with an annual attrition rate of twenty per cent. The convention prepared open letters of protest to the respective sovereigns.^[7]

Joseph Pease spoke and accused the British government of being complicit in the continuing existence of slavery in India.^[13]

Legacy

After leaving the convention on the first day, being denied full access to the proceedings, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton "walked home arm in arm, commenting on the incidents of the day, [and] we resolved to hold a convention as soon as we returned home, and form a society to advocate the rights of women." Eight years later they hosted the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York.^[9]

One hundred years later, the Women's Centennial Congress was held in America to celebrate the progress that women had made since they were prevented from speaking at this conference.

Incomplete list of delegates (and women who attended)

The official list of delegates has 493 names.^[14]

Delegate	Country	In painting?	Comments
AdamProf William Adam	UK	very top right	Professor
AdeyEdward Adey	UK	very far right	Baptist Minister
AlexaGeorge William Alexander	UK	left	Financier
Allen RichRichard Allen	Ireland	right	Philanthropist
Allen StaffStafford Allen	UK	left mid	Philanthropist
Allen WiWilliam Allen	UK	front mid left	Scientist
BainesSir Edward Baines	UK	left	Member of Parliament
BaldwEdward Baldwin	UK	right front	Former Attorney-General of New South Wales
BanniSaxe Bannister	UK	right	Pamphleteer
Barrett EdEdward (Jonas) Barrett	US	far right	Former Slave
Richard Barrett	Jamaica	very far right
BassIsaac Bass	UK	far right
BeckHenry Beckford	Jamaica	front centre	Former Slave
Beaumont AbAbraham Beaumont	UK	left
Beaumont JMrs John Beaumont	UK	front far right
Beaumont WWilliam Beaumont	UK	left
BenneGeorge Bennett	UK	right front
BinneRev. Dr. Thomas Binney	UK	far right	Minister
BirneyJames Gillespie Birney	US	left	Attorney
Birt JoJohn Birt	US	back far right
BlackhoJonathan Backhouse	UK	left	Banker
BlairW. T. Blair	UK	mid
BoultWilliam Boulbee	UK	far right
BowlySamuel Bowly	UK	far left back	Advocate
BradbGeorge Bradburn	US	left	Minister
BrockWilliam Brock	UK	right of centre	Minister
BurneJohn Burnet	UK	mid	Minister
ByronAnne Isabella, Lady Byron	UK	bonneted far right
CadbuTapper Cadbury	UK	right back row	Businessman
Clarkson MMary Clarkson	UK	bonnet left	Speaker's daughter in law
Clarkson ThThomas Clarkson	UK	main speaker	Abolitionist Speaker
ColvNathaniel Colver	US	right	Minister
CondJosiah Conder	UK	?	Author
ConnDaniel O'Connell	Ireland	far left	Member of Parliament
Cox FFrancis Augustus Cox	UK	left	Minister
CrewIsaac Crewdson	UK	back row	Minister
CroppeJohn Cropper	UK	right front	Philanthropist
Dawes WWilliam Dawes	US	far left	education
DeanJames Dean	US?	?	Professor
Eardley WSir John Eardley-Wilmot, 1st Baronet	UK	mid left	Member of Parliament
EatoJoseph Eaton	UK	?
Ellis JJohn Ellis	UK	far right	Member of Parliament
Forster WWilliam Forster	UK	front	Minister
Forster JJosiah Forster	UK	front mid right	Philanthropist
GarrisonWm. Lloyd Garrison	US	no	Journalist, publisher. Voluntarily sat with the women.
GurneSamuel Gurney	UK	under speaker	Banker
HeadGeorge Head Head	UK	Front right	Banker
IsamFrançois-André Isambert	France	mid	Lawyer
KeepRev. John Keep	US	?	Minister; trustee of Oberlin College
KnibbWilliam Knibb	Jamaica	front mid right	Minister
PrescodSamuel Jackman Prescod	Barbados	front middle	Journalist
MorganWilliam Morgan	UK	middle front	Lawyer
MorganWilliam Harris Murch	UK	yes	Minister
ScobJohn Scoble	Canada	front right	Lawyer
KetlJoseph Ketley	Guyana	front right	Minister
StaceyGeorge Stacey	UK	front	Minister
ThompsGeorge Thompson	UK & US	front mid right	Member of Parliament
TredgJ. Harfield Tredgold	South Africa	under speaker	Chemist
LushiStephen Lushington	UK	left	Member of Parliament
Fowell BSir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet	UK	left	Member of Parliament
GodwBenjamin Godwin	UK	mid	Minister
MoorsVice Admiral Constantine Richard Moorsom	UK	left	Royal Navy Officer
TaylorWilliam Taylor	UK	mid
MorriJohn Morrison	UK	mid
PrincDr George Prince	UK	?
SoulJoseph Soul	UK	???	Reformer
SturgJoseph Sturge	UK	left front	Minister
WhitehJames Whitehorne	Jamaica	?
MarriJoseph Marriage	UK	left front
LeathWilliam Leatham	UK	left	Banker
Lucas SSamuel Lucas	UK	left	Journalist
Fox SSamuel Fox	UK	left back
LecesLouis Celeste Lecesne	UK	left back
GreviRobert Greville	UK	far left	Botanist
Pease JoJoseph Pease	UK	left	Minister
TatumWilliam Tatum	UK	right
WebbRichard D. Webb	Ireland	right	Publisher
ScalesRev. Thomas Scales	UK	right front	Minister
James WWilliam James	UK	right	Minister
WilsonWilliam Wilson	UK	right
Swan TRev. Thomas Swan	UK	right	Baptist Minister
SteaneRev. Edward Steane	UK	right	Minister
Miller JColonel Jonathon Miller	US	right front	United States Army Officer
StuartCaptain Charles Stuart	Jamaica	right	Royal Navy Officer
JeremSir John Jeremie	Colonies	right of centre	Judge
StowCharles Stovel	UK	far right front	Minister
PeekRichard Peek	UK	far right front	Sheriff of London
SturgeJohn Sturge	UK	far right	Organiser's brother
Forster RRobert Forster	UK	very far right	Philanthropist
GalushElon Galusha	US	right	Lawyer
GrosvCyrus Pitt Grosvenor	US	far right	Minister
SterrHenry Sterry	UK	far right
ClarPeter Clare	UK	far right
Johnson JRev. J.H. Johnson	UK	far right
PriceDr. Thomas Price	UK	far right
ReynoJoseph Reynolds	UK	far right
WheeleSamuel Wheeler	UK	far right
Johnson JWiliam Fairbank	UK	far right
PriceRev. John Woodmark	UK	far right
ReynoWilliam Smeal	UK	far right	Minister
Carlile JJames Carlile	Ireland	far right	Minister
Hinton JJohn Howard Hinton	UK	far right	Minister
James JJohn Angell James	Ireland	far right	Minister
Cooper JJoseph Cooper	UK	far right
MaddenDr. Richard Robert Madden	Ireland/ Jamaica	far right	Doctor
BulleyAlderman Thomas Bulley	UK	far right
HodgeIsaac Hodgson	UK	far right
Smith EEdward Smith	UK	far right
BowringSir John Bowring	UK	far right	Member of Parliament
KnightAnne Knight	UK	bonneted far right
LesterC. Edwards Lester	US	far right	Writer
PinchThomas Pinches	?	far right
TurnbDavid Turnbull	UK	far right	Author
SteerJohn Steer	UK	very far right
TuckeHenry Tuckett	UK	very far right
Mott JJames Mott[15]	US	very far right	Merchant
Rathbone RRichard Rathbone	UK	very far right	Businessman
Phillips WWendell Phillips	US	very far right	Attorney
L'InsM. L'Instant	Haiti	front far right
Stanton HHenry Stanton	US	front far right	Attorney
Thredgold EliMrs Elizabeth Tredgold	South African	back row right
McDonnT.M. McDonnell	UK	very far right	Minister
Rawson MMary Anne Rawson	UK	far right
PeaseElizabeth Pease	UK	very far right	Suffragist
PostJacob Post	UK	very far right	Minister
Opie AAmelia Opie	UK	front far right	Novelist
Morgan ThRev. Thomas Morgan	UK	mid right	Minister
StantonElizabeth Cady Stanton[16]	US	No	married to Henry Stanton
Reid, Elizabeth JesserElizabeth Jesser Reid	??	No	UK philanthropist
Townshend, Norton Strange Norton Strange Townshend	US	No	Doctor
Harvey, A Rev. A. Harvey[17]	UK	No	Minister
Grew MMary Grew[15]	US	No	US delegate (refused a main seat)
Mott LLucretia Mott[15]	US	No	(refused a main seat)
Wigham EEliza Wigham	UK	No	Scottish leader (refused a main seat)
South AAbby Southwick[15]	US	No	(refused a main seat)
Grew HHenry Grew[15]	US	No	Teacher
Ashurst EElizabeth Ann Ashurst Bardonneau[18]	UK	No
Ashurst WWilliam H. Ashurst[19]	UK	No	Solicitor
Strickland GeoSir George Strickland, 7th Baronet[20]	UK	No	Member of Parliament
Hodgkin ThomaThomas Hodgkin[21]	UK	No	Doctor
Busfield WillWilliam Busfield[21]	UK	No	Member of Parliament
Lister Ellis CunliEllis Cunliffe Lister[21]	UK	No	Member of Parliament
Smith GerrGerrit Smith[21]	UK	No	Philanthropist
Fuller James CJames Canning Fuller[21]	US	No
May Samuel JSamuel Joseph May[21]	US	No	Minister
Whittier John GJohn Greenleaf Whittier[21]	US	No	Poet
Hanbury CornCornelius Manning[21]	UK	No	Philanthropist
Villiers ChCharles Pelham Villiers[21]	UK	No	Member of Parliament
Biggs MatMatilda Ashurst Biggs[22]	UK	No
Townsend LucyLucy Townsend[23]	UK	No
NeallElizabeth Neall[15]	US	No
Phillips AAnn Greene Phillips[15]	US	No	Wife of Wendell Phillips.
Remond CharCharles Lenox Remond[24]	US	No	Free man
Rogers NatNathaniel Peabody Rogers[24]	US	No	Publisher
Wiffen BBBenjamin Barron Wiffen[25]	UK	No	Businessman
Winslow EEmily Winslow[15]	US	No
Winslow IIsaac Winslow[15]	US	No	Politician

References

1. The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840, Benjamin Robert Haydon, 1841, National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG599, Given by British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1880
2. McDaniel, W. Caleb (2007). "World's Anti-Slavery Convention". In Peter P. Hinks; John R. McKivigan; R. Owen Williams (eds.). Encyclopedia of Antislavery and Abolition. Vol. 2. Greenwood. pp. 760–762. ISBN 978-0-313-33144-2.
3. Maynard 1960, p. 452.
4. Sklar 1990, p. 453.
5. Slavery and Abolition, ODNB, retrieved 10 July 2008 [dead link – needs investigation]
6. "Women and the American Story: 1840 London Anti-Slavery Convention" (PDF). New York Historical Society. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
7. "The Anti-Slavery Convention". The Citizen (Dublin). 2 (10): 213–222. August 1840.
8. The baptist Magazine. 1854. p. 786. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
9. "1840 London Anti-Slavery Convention" (PDF). New York Historical Society Museum & Library. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
10. Sinha, Manisha (January 2016). The slave's cause: a history of abolition. New Haven. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-300-18137-1. OCLC 920017303.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
11. Paper presented to the General Anti-Slavery Convention, Rev. Benjamin Godwin, 1840
12. The Baptist Magazine, page 374, retrieved 24 July 2014
13. Madhavi Kale (1 January 1998). Fragments of Empire: Capital, Slavery, and Indian Indentured Labor Migration in the British Caribbean. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 120. ISBN 0-8122-3467-7.
14. Society, British Foreign Anti-Slavery (1840). British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society: Convention, June 12th, 1840. No publisher name given. JSTOR 60228328.
15. Mary Grew, Abolitionist and Feminist, 1813–1896, retrieved 19 July 2008
16. "Women's Rights". americaslibrary.gov. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
17. DOCUMENT 4 (1: 53–62): World's Anti-Slavery Convention, London, England, June 1840, accessed February 2013
18. Jonathan Spain, 'Ashurst, Elizabeth Ann [Eliza] (c.1814–1850)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 retrieved 30 July 2015
19. Matthew Lee, 'Ashurst, William Henry (bap. 1791?, d. 1855)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 retrieved 30 July 2015
20. BFASS Convention 1840, List of delegates, retrieved 2 August 2015
21. BFASS Convention 1840, List of delegates, retrieved 27 August 2015
22. Jonathan Spain, 'Biggs, Matilda Ashurst (1816/17–1866)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2011 retrieved 30 July 2015
23. Clare Midgley, 'Townsend, Lucy (1781–1847)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 retrieved 30 July 2015
24. [A Collection from the Miscellaneous Writings of Nathaniel Peabody Rogers], N.P.Rogers, 1949, p106, accessed April 2009
25. Truman, R. W. "Wiffen, Benjamin Barron". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29361. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Sources

• Maynard, Douglas H. (1960). "The World's Anti-Slavery Convention of 1840". The Mississippi Valley Historical Review. 47 (3): 452–471. doi:10.2307/1888877. JSTOR 1888877.
• Sklar, Kathryn Kish (1990). ""Women Who Speak for an Entire Nation": American and British Women Compared at the World Anti-Slavery Convention, London, 1840". Pacific Historical Review. 59 (4): 453–499. doi:10.2307/3640236. JSTOR 3640236.

Further reading

• Kennon, D. R. (1984). "'An apple of discord': The woman question at the world's anti-slavery convention of 1840". Slavery & Abolition. 5 (3): 244–266. doi:10.1080/01440398408574876.
• "The Anti-Slavery Convention". The Citizen (Dublin). 2 (10): 213–222. August 1840.

External links

• Media related to The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840 at Wikimedia Commons