In Bondage....

Irish Slaves in the Americas….

Since the demands from the descendants of black slaves in America for an apology and recompense from all those involved in the disgusting Slave Trade of the 1600’s, 1700’s and 1800’s, a veil has begun to be lifted from an equally dark period of Irish history.

I have in the past posted on Irish White Slaves to the Middle East (see ‘Baltimore’ in my tags), but they were taken by Turkish slavers and sold in North Africa.

A more sinister aspect on slavery is slowly coming to light. Provided that slaves, slavers and slave ships did not arrive in or leave from an ‘English’ port no records were kept and the information available is very scarce. However, such information can be gleaned from other sources.

The Cromwellian period in Irish history is very dark indeed and most Irishmen, including ‘yours truly’ curse and spit at the mention of his name. It was he who was responsible for the decapitation of Charles First but earlier as a General he was sent to Ireland to quell any form of rebellion. It was he, who upon seizing all the quality land, ordered the Irish people to go to ‘Hell or to Connaught’. This was forcing them to go to the West of Ireland where the land was generally poor and unable to provide sufficient food for the inhabitants. Those who refused or fought against the ‘Crown’ were literally transported.

In most cases they were sentenced to death for treason but the colonies and especially the Caribbean islands were being opened to those in favour for a pittance and the Irish prisoners soon became a means of ‘cheap labour’. As a result, tens of thousands of Irishmen were sent to the sugar cane industry.

Those soldiers who were ordered into exile indentured themselves (to pay for their travel) into a form of slavery for terms of five to seven years. They were unable to take their wives with them so naturally they began to take other slaves as their wives. Any children born of these couples became slaves without any hope of freedom.

Just now I was looking for a reference and hit on a report on ‘England’s Irish Slaves *’ which can be seen on the following link:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/HUMANITY/SLAVES.TXT

I strongly suggest that anyone interested in this subject immediately hit the link and read from the very authoritative document.

I shall just give one paragraph, which sums up the entire matter:

‘In 1641, Ireland's population was 1,466,000 and in 1652, 616,000. According to Sir William Petty, 850,000 were wasted by the sword, plague, famine, hardship and banishment during the Confederation War 1641-1652. At the end of the war, vast numbers of Irish men, women and children were forcibly transported to the American colonies by the English government.(7) These people were rounded up like cattle, and, as Prendergast reports on Thurloe's State Papers(8) (Pub. London, 1742), "In clearing the ground for the adventurers and soldiers (the English capitalists of that day)... To be transported to Barbados and the English plantations in America. It was a measure beneficial to Ireland, which was thus relieved of a population that might trouble the planters; it was a benefit to the people removed, which might thus be made English and Christians ... a great benefit to the West India sugar planters, who desired men and boys for their bondsmen, and the women and Irish girls... To solace them."(9)’

I strongly recommend that you read the entire document – it is not very long. I found it heartbreaking in the extreme and no wonder how certain people, including my mother, hated the ‘English’ so much.

I know it was a different time, a different world but how man can be so inhumane to man, I shall never understand. I do however, now strongly understand the black mans’ feelings on slavery.

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(* Copyright The CATHOLIC Weekly 1995 Use with acknowledgement permitted. anthony.o.mascia@crnet.org ).