Jenny Fowler – Week 5 – Anthony Trollope’s ‘The West Indies and the Spanish Main’

Written in 1859 by novelist, Anthony Trollope following a visit to the West Indies in 1858, The West Indies and the Spanish Main. His view mirrored that of other prominent writers of the time such as Thomas Carlyle.

Trollope’s views are explicitly detailed in his writings, starting his arguments by stating that the most striking feature of the West Indies is the black population, drawing particular attention to the physical attributes of the black slaves he encountered; “they eye soon becomes accustomed to the black skin and thick lip”. He furthers his argument of physical difference by claiming that black people are more capable of the hardest bodily work with less pain than the men of any other race, however, also argues that although capable of the work, they seldom want to work. Trollope again further explains the so-called differences by referring to the intellectual ‘inferiorities’ of the enslaved people he encountered in the West Indies; “Intellectually, he is apparently capable of but little sustained effort… he does draw conclusions, but he carries them only a short way”. Given that religion was an important factor in society, Trollope states that black people, would obsess themselves with religion “for the sake of appearances”, even if they didn’t understand; “in my opinion, they rarely take in and digest the great and simple doctrines of Christianity”.

Although not convincing in today’s society, these arguments and opinions were shared by many following the abolition of slavery. Trollope drew upon his own experiences to justify his arguments. Many people of privileged backgrounds had these views of race which have been influenced by their status in society, including Trollope, who published his works during the time when racist ideology was gaining popularity through avenues such as stage performances, novels, for example, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This type of media was able to sway public opinion, particularly Beecher Stowe’s novel as the ‘good’ black characters had more white ancestry than the ‘bad’ black characters.

This source is relevant to the wider reading of this week’s session as it shows, in depth, the feelings and attitudes of people post-abolition. His views of black people being better suited to hard labor and slavery were shared by many, including medical professionals, especially in 1863 following the introduction of the Anthropological Society of London who aimed to prove the inferiority of black people through ‘scientific’ research. Sir Harry Johnston, commissioner for South Africa and Uganda respectively, also shared these views, stating that Africans were “born slaves”, as well as sharing the view that black people are more capable of hard labour and were built to work in the warmer climates of the West Indies.