The Boundless Lives of Black Britons: An Examination of Eighteenth Century Black British Citizens

Why were African and British African citizens living in England able to be free during a time of heightened slavery throughout the rest of the world, i.e., the colonies, the Caribbean, etc? How does their relationship with England and freedom compare to those living elsewhere? What can we learn about the status of Black people through media such as books and paintings during the eighteenth century? My topic discusses the free African/Black people who lived in England during the eighteenth century. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are arguably the height of slavery worldwide, but free people did exist and lived during this period. England specifically had more of a progressive view of race in the eighteenth century and therefore did not support slavery within its country. I want to learn about the status of Black people in England, how they lived, and what their views and thoughts were. By learning about their status I can examine their multi-faceted relationship with England, considering race, racism, class, and gender. We already have a few examples from during this time, such as Dido Elizabeth Belle and Ignatius Sancho; we even see the base of this idea during the Tudor period in the 16th century. I will use these examples to answer my questions above by using their experiences to gain insight.