Colonial-Imposed Slavery and African Abolitionism
The Early Twentieth- Century Lagos Elites’ Campaign Against the Native House Rule Ordinance
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6451525 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael E Odijie (0000-0002-9012-5979, University College London, corresponding author), Uzoamaka Nwachukwu (University College London) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 254-276 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-16 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Slavery and Abolition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0144-039X • E-ISSN: 1743-9523 |
| Publisher | Frank Cass & Co (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0144039x.2024.2353095 |
| PMID | 40012990 |
| OpenAlex | W4396978186 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
This article examines the efforts of early-twentieth-century abolitionists in Lagos, Nigeria who campaigned against the Native House Rule Ordinance/Proclamation, a colonial law perceived as perpetuating indigenous slavery in the Niger Delta region. The study enriches the corpus of African abolitionist literature by revealing how a network of Lagos elites employed a strategic top-down approach to advocate for the law's repeal, which they believed sustained a form of slavery instituted by British colonialism. The research utilizes an extensive range of primary sources, including local Nigerian newspaper publications, correspondence, petitions, and archival documents from both Nigerian and British repositories. The paper contextualizes the Native House Rule system, explores the Lagos campaigners' strategies and arguments against the ordinance, and discusses the law's amendment and eventual repeal. Through detailed case studies and the examination of African-led initiatives, the study acknowledges the previously understated contributions of African activists, thereby rectifying a significant oversight in historical literature. This paper underscores the importance of recognizing indigenous agency in historical narratives, particularly in the context of abolition and resistance to colonial policies
Abolitionism · Agency (philosophy · Archaeology · Colonialism · Context (archaeology · Indigenous · Political science · Politics · Proclamation · Repeal · Social science · Sociology · African history and culture studies · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · History · Law
| Citations per year | 1.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |