Polite Slavery: Glasgow Gentility and the Consumption of Slave Goods
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: College of Arts
Abstract
Scotland has only recently begun exploring their role in the trans-Atlantic slave
trade which bolstered the fortunes of cities such as Glasgow from the 18th to mid-19th century.
Scholars such as Thomas Devine and Stuart Nesbit have written in depth and illuminating
histories on the rise of the tobacco, cotton and sugar industries in Scotland; however, until
recently slavery has been naught but a footnote in such histories. The purpose of this project is to
research how Glasgow and Scotland interacted with slavery on a physical and ideological level
and how it shaped social polite society. I seek to restore the slave's presence within the
eighteenth-century Glaswegian household, not just as a servant, but as a spectre within luxury
goods and the driving force behind gentility, politeness and taste.
trade which bolstered the fortunes of cities such as Glasgow from the 18th to mid-19th century.
Scholars such as Thomas Devine and Stuart Nesbit have written in depth and illuminating
histories on the rise of the tobacco, cotton and sugar industries in Scotland; however, until
recently slavery has been naught but a footnote in such histories. The purpose of this project is to
research how Glasgow and Scotland interacted with slavery on a physical and ideological level
and how it shaped social polite society. I seek to restore the slave's presence within the
eighteenth-century Glaswegian household, not just as a servant, but as a spectre within luxury
goods and the driving force behind gentility, politeness and taste.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Simon Newman (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Marenka Thompson-Odlum (Student) |
| Description | i)Involvement in slavery and slave- related goods transformed Glasgow and set the foundation for modern day Glasgow. Slave related funds were used to expand the city's territory, set up new manufacturing business and physically build up the city and it's surrounding environs. During the 19th century Glasgow was known as an industrial power house, taking a close look at the West Indian merchants and plantation owners of the 18th century, it has become apparent that their wealth gained in the colonial enterprises helped to establish those industries, and thus a small merchant elite controlled Glasgow throughout the two centuries. ii)Involvement in slavery also shaped how Glaswegian merchants presented themselves. The significant 18th-early 19th century American/West Indian merchant portraiture housed in the Glasgow Museums, suggest that the merchants chose to depict themselves in a specific way in which all at once distant them from their profession, but also bolstered their identity as competent merchants. These portraits known as 'common sense' portraits were key linked to Scottish Enlightenment ideals on representation, morality and commerce. The spectre of the slave hangs over each of the paintings. iii)Scots traversed British Empire in unique ways that allowed them to fit in with idea of 'British-ness', but while strengthening Scottish bonds. Many objects in the Glasgow Museums illustrate how post- Act of the Union, the West Indian merchant elite strove to emulate the English elite, through partaking in the Grand Tour, art collecting and the types of household objects they purchased. However, all these things were collected, purchased or endeavoured through tight Scottish networks, which mirrored the kinship networks that these merchants used to traverse their slave-related business in the colonies. iv) There is a distinct lack of enslaved persons in the archival and visual records of Scotland, even though through runaway ads and servant tax records we are aware that enslaved people lived in Scotland. This negative evidence has led to me looking into Scotland's attitude post-emancipation, and have discovered that Scotland, especially Glasgow quickly fashioned themselves as prominent abolitionists and actively worked to distance themselves from their slave past. This is reflected in newspaper articles that lay the blame of the slave traded on port cities like Liverpool and Bristol, the commissioning of a statue of missionary and abolitionist David Livingstone, which depicts slavers as Arabic and absolves Europeans of guilt, the changing of family crests that incorporate enslaved figures etc. Many Glaswegian institutions were complicit in this erasure, especially the museums that celebrated the 'great men of Glasgow' often in exhibitions but deftly avoided 'slave' business of these individuals. The fashioning of Scotland as the supporter of the oppressed over the last 150 years has aided in the perpetuating the idea that the Scots played no role in the slave trade, which is of course completely false. |
| Exploitation Route | i) Museums/ Cultural Institutions: My research has already changed the way in which Glasgow Museums views their collection and thus how they even catalogue their artefacts. By opening up the links between objects and slavery, especially when those links are sometimes extremely difficult to determine on first glance, it allows for a new form of interpretation by the curatorial staff and provides a blueprint of how such connections may exist, and thus make it easier in the future to build a more comprehensive biography of an object in the collection. Furthermore, the museums in Scotland often struggle with connecting with their Black, Minority and Ethnic (BME) communities and my research shows that objects such as a punch bowl, has such a global history that it if properly curated can resonate throughout various populations. Furthermore, my research can be used by the Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life to add a new dimension to the city, through the recognition of the importance of statues and street signs in the city in regards to colonialism and the slave trade. ii) Educational Institutions: Throughout my time in Glasgow I have learned that slavery if very rarely broached in the classroom, and when it is, it is often taught in the context of the British Empire and no emphasis is placed on the Scottish role in empire and slavery. My findings will help educational institutions to develop a Scotland and Slavery unit to their curriculum and inform students of Scotland's lost histories and how those histories affect the contemporary Scottish population. Also my work with the museums will provide schools with unique opportunity to work with the museums to expose students to slave history. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Description | i) Increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy: • My research has impacted the University of Glasgow as they have formed an official Historical Slavery Steering Committee, which I am a member of and my research has informed. The Committee was formed to confront the university's ties with slavery and how much the slavery benefited monetarily or through archive/ museum collections from slavery and how this can be recognized publicly and reparations made through endowments etc. The committee is head by the university's Vice- Principal. • Through my work and research with Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), CRER has started a campaign to establish a museum or cultural centre that addresses the history of minorities in Scotland. A committee has been established and is working with the Glasgow City council to make this a reality. The committee is also advised by Dr Richard Benjamin of the Liverpool Slavery Museum. • My research has also informed the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre Scotland which is currently closed for a £6 million dollar the renovation awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The centre has recently asked me to advise them, so that moving forward they do not create a 'homage to empire' that the Centre previously related and how to tell a multitude of histories through their objects. ii) My research has been used to enhance quality of life, health and creative output, in a number of ways: • My research speaks directly to the BME community of Scotland, who until recently have had very little experience with the historic role of people of colour in Scotland. Such under-representation in the cultural landscape of the nation translates into a sentiment that the community's needs are not being valued, which leads to various social and health issues. My research has opened a new avenue through which the BME community can interact with the city and see themselves reflected in the overall Glaswegian story. Some examples of this impact is that inspired by the Glasgow and Slavery walking tours that I lead and my research, a number of artist have used my work in their work. Glasgow School of Art students Jack McElroy and Harvey Dimond created an art exhibition 'Statu(r)esque' that explored Glasgow's involvement of trans-Atlantic histories. My research also informed Czech artist's 'Red Naomi' exhibition which looked at exploitation of people through botanical material. My research and the work done by my cohort on Runaway Slaves in Britain also inspired a musical piece by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. My work has also helped performance artist Alberta Whittle with her pieces. Therefore there has been an increased creative output in topics that would attract and engage a more diverse audience and thus boost inclusivity of Glasgow and the quality of life of its inhabitants. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Glasgow Museums/ Glasgow Life BME Committee |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The advisory committee has discussed and taken steps to make the museums a more inclusive space, by partnering with local organisations and communities that cater to minorities and refugees, to facilitate an exchange of ideas of what these communities want from cultural spaces. Also using my research some objects are being re-displayed to portray a more accurate history. |
| Description | University of Glasgow Slavery Steering Committee |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The Committee was formed by the university to address the institutions historic links with slavery and ways in which to address this in the modern day. The Committee has committed to publicly acknowledging these link and find ways to engage with this history that makes a tangible impact in people's lives. |
| Description | Ross Fund |
| Amount | £500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2017 |
| End | 07/2017 |
| Description | An Anti-Colonial Menu |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The event was put on by Africa in Motion, Soul Food Sisters and African Challenge. Culinary Legacies of Colonialism: An Anti-Colonial Menu was a dine and view event which looked to discuss ancestral delicacies from the African continent pre-colonial rule. Exploring the politics and heritage of African cooking as one of the most diverse, yet least experienced, least understood cuisines in the world, through the research of historical foods and lost recipes from all of Africa - with the idea that the hangover of colonial rule also extends its legacy within the everyday food experience. As part of the event we worked with Cameroonian chef Florence. An Anti-Colonial Menu began with an introduction by Marenka Thompson-Odlum. Marenka is a PhD student from the Caribbean island of St.Lucia studying Scotland's links to the trans-atlantic slave trade at the University of Glasgow. The dinner was followed by the film Black Girl.. 40 persons were in attendance. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.kueche.co.uk/a-new-scots-menu |
| Description | BBC Scotland Radio Time Travels: Silver and Slavery |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Time Travels is a BBC Scotland broadcast that tells various short histories. I spoke about an 18th century bi-racial woman who was taken by her Scottish relatives from Jamaica to Britain in 1769 and her subsequent life as a person of mixed race and illegitimate. Charlotte Stirling was lost to history until I uncovered her in my archival research and gave her a voice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09bcgkk |
| Description | BBC Scotland Timeline |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interviewed and filmed for BBC Scotland Timeline series that discusses current issues in Scotland and this episode focused on the recent debate about statues and street names and just how much Scotland was involved in slavery. The episode aired in October, 2017 and reached a wide Scottish audience on television but also through social media as BBC Scotland News uploaded a clip featuring me on to Facebook and Twitter. Following the interview, I received more requests about my research, but also suffered some negative comments who did not like the topic of my research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.digitalmaker.co.uk/?tag=marenka-thompson-odlum |
| Description | Doors Open Days: St. Andrews in the Square: Lecture on Material Culture of the Colonial Elite in Glasgow |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Glasgow Open Doors Days celebrates Glaswegian history by opening buildings and institutions to the public and hosting talks that fit with the overall history of each site. St. Andrews in the Square was a church specifically built by Glasgow's Tobacco Lords and thus is intimately linked to the slave trade. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/media/3551/glasgow2017design-by-zag-gdodf-programme-isuu-pages.pdf |
| Description | Glasgow and Slavery Walking Tours |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Two hour tour of Glasgow highlighting the cities slave history. I lead the tours every Sunday during Black History Month and at request of special interest schools such as schools and cultural organizations, for example the BME students of the Royal Conservatoire and Africa in Motion Film festival staff. The events are free and open to the public, and the average attendance is 15 persons per tour., and I have done 15 tours which is roughly an audience of 225 persons. The purpose of these walking tours is to raise awareness among the general population of the slave history of Glasgow and inspire people to utilise information in schools. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| URL | https://www.crer.scot/black-history-month |
| Description | STV's The People's History Show |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Episode description: Dr Geoffrey Palmer takes a look at Scotland's links to the slave trade and examines the often untold story of Scotland's role in the abolition movement of the 1800s. I was interviewed and filmed at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library talking with Dr Geoff Palmer and showing him key documents at the archives that illustrate Scotland's role in slavery and the impact of my research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://player.stv.tv/episode/3i95/peoples-history/ |
| Description | Scotsman Newspaper Article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interviewed by journalist Dani Garavelli for piece in the Scotsman titled "Facing up to slavery in the Second City of the Empire'. Features a picture of me in front of the Glassford Portrait of Glasgow merchant and his slave. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.scotsman.com/news/dani-garavelli-facing-up-to-slavery-in-second-city-of-empire-1-4568273 |
| Description | Scottish Parliament : Festival of Politics: Scotland, Slavery and Acknowledgement Panel (Edinburgh) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I was on a panel with Dr Geoffrey Palmer, Councillor Graham Campbell and Dr Richard Benjamin of the Liverpool Museum. The panel talked about the history of minorities in Scotland and what policies, cultural institutions etc could be enacted to acknowledge this history and move Scotland forward. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://festivalofpolitics.scot/ |
| Description | Slavery and Glasgow Through the lens of Material Culture Lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presented this lecture as part of CRER's Black History Month Lunchtime Talk Series at the Gallery of Modern Art. It was attended by 26 persons. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/7ec2e5_b01eee8047194e89af034c06c58f8d1c.pdf |
| Description | Student Representative Council: Black History Month Panel |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The University of Glasgow's Student Representative Council hosted a Black History Month Panel that was attended by 300 persons, mostly university students but also by members of the general public. The panel included myself Dr Stephen Mullen (UofG), Graham Campbell (Councillor) and Dr Louise Walsh (UoG). The event was the best attended SRC event in recent history and the Q&A portion sparked many questions (especially from minority students) about the lack of diversity in the university's curriculum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.glasgowstudent.net/news/black-history-month-confronting-glasgows-colonial-past/ |
| Description | Walking Tour at Botanical Gardens |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I designed and led a walking tour of the Glasgow Botanical Gardens which highlighted the history of the plants used for commercial cultivation in the 18th century and cultivated by slave labour. The tour was done in conjunction with artist Radek Brousil who used his exhibition Red Naomi to explore the link between botanics and the exploitation of peoples. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.evensi.uk/walking-tour-at-botanic-gardens-with-marenka-thompson-odlum/229250612 |