The West Indies in 1837

Joseph Sturge (1793-1859) and his co-author, Thomas Harvey (1812-1884), were Quaker philanthropists concerned with the treatment of former slaves. Both men had reservations about the 'apprenticeship' system introduced by the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, and between 1836 and 1837 they visited the West Indies to assess the usefulness of the system in action. Their book was first published in 1838, and a second, revised edition (reissued here) came out in the same year. It contains Sturge and Harvey's observations on the failures of apprenticeship. Organised by island and presented in the form of a diary, this detailed account of the lives and living conditions of former slaves illustrates the inherent flaws in the apprenticeship system. This volume proved very influential in the campaign to abolish the system, and provides valuable first-hand information on the contemporary social conditions in the West Indies, and attitudes to former slaves.