Slavery . .

Subject: Slavery . .
From: GeorgeH
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 11:11 AM

Given the recent discussions on Slavery - and some historical uncertainty from some posters (OK, me included) UK catters should be interested in a series on the history of the Slave Trade which Channel 4 is currently broadcasting. The first programme (last Sunday) was, IMO, fine television.

I have a nasty feeling the second programme may be tonight (Tuesday) but don't have a TV Guide to hand.

G.

Subject: RE: Slavery . .
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 11:47 AM

I don't know if this is the correct one, but here is a link to the BBC-Online, directly to the page which describes the next episode of a program called "Into Africa", which is about slavery. Sounds very intersting; wish we got it here in the states.

Subject: RE: Slavery . .
From: GeorgeH
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 11:55 AM

Nope, not the same thing, but does, indeed, also look interesting.

G.

Subject: RE: Slavery . .
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 12:20 PM

George, I saw a PBS broadcast about African-American history that went into great depth on the slave trade. It made an interesting observation that, in the mid 1600's, blacks and whites served as indentured servants in the New England colonies in exactly the same way, many blacks earning land and money at the completion of their contracts and going on to become free citizens and farmers. It was not until the early 1700's that slavery gained a permanent status based on race.

I also found it interesting that, during the American Revolution, Britain made an offer of freedom to all slaves who would fight on the Royalist side. Many thousands of African-americans joined the British Army as it swept through the Southern Colonies. After the British defeat at Yorktown, some were taken to England with the departing fleet, but most were sent back to the Slaveholders, or to prison.

Subject: RE: Slavery . .
From: GeorgeH
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 12:20 PM

OK, you prompted me to do some further investigation . . The web site for this is:

http://www.channel4.co.uk/

and since the damn place is all built on sub-frames I can't give a more specific URL into the programme. The way in I found was to go to the listings for LAST sunday, 3rd October, selected the programme (Untold: Britain's Slave Trade) and followed links from there. Ignoring the odd errored frame it threw up along the way. All looks interesting; clearly it's part of a "Black History" series, and its another programme in that series which is broadcast tonight ("Riot") rather than the second of the four slave trade ones.

G.