charles ii proclamation regarding the royal african company’s monopoly

He does not represent our diverse and multicultural city.”īristol Museums has sought to explain the reason for Colston’s statue remaining the city and says on its website that “Colston never, as far as we know, traded in enslaved Africans on his own account”.īut it added: “What we do know is that he was an active member of the governing body of the RAC, which traded in enslaved Africans, for 11 years. “We hereby encourage Bristol city council to remove the Edward Colston statue. This should be reserved for those who bring about positive change and who fight for peace, equality and social unity,” the petition reads. “Whilst history shouldn’t be forgotten, these people who benefited from the enslavement of individuals do not deserve the honour of a statue. It was decided in 2018 to change the statue’s plaque to include mention to his slave-trading activities but a final wording was never agreed.Ī petition that gathered thousands of signatures in the past week said he had “no place” in the city. Then there were the complaints from the planters. First and foremost, the Company was not achieving a profit as a matter of fact, it resorted to borrowing money to pay dividends. Besides the statue, there is Colston’s, an independent school, named after him, along with a concert hall, Colston Hall, a high-rise office office block, Colston Tower, Colston Street and Colston Avenue.Ĭampaigners have argued for years that his connections with slavery mean his contribution to the city should be reassessed. Many factors contributed to the loss of the Royal African Company’s monopoly in 1689. This legislation caused tensions between colonists and imperial officials, who made it clear that the British. The American Revolution was precipitated, in part, by a series of laws passed between 17 that regulating trade and taxes. His philanthropy has meant the Colston name permeates Bristol. Parliamentary taxation of colonies, international trade, and the American Revolution, 17631775. He is buried in All Saints Church in Bristol. He briefly served as a Tory MP for Bristol before dying in Mortlake, Surrey, in 1721. He sold his shares in the company to William, Prince of Orange, in 1689 after the latter had orchestrated the Glorious Revolution and seized power from James the year before.Ĭolston then began to develop a reputation as a philanthropist who donated to charitable causes such as schools and hospitals in Bristol and London. Originally known as the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa, it was granted a monopoly over the English slave trade, by its. 00:28 Cheers as Bristol protesters pull down statue of 17th century slave trader – video It was led by James, Duke of York, Charles II’s brother.

Charles ii proclamation regarding the royal african company’s monopoly