Bristol's Dark Past | The Legacy of a Slave Trader Philanthropist
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- Edward Colston was a British slave trader from Bristol, England. In 2020, Bristol's Colston statue was torn down and thrown into Bristol Harbour by Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors.
In the UK, colonial statues & reminders of Britain's slave trade can be seen all over the country. As a colonial power, the British Empire was involved in the Triangular Trade, or Transatlantic Slave Trade. Britain's Royal Africa Company (RAC), owned the ships that transported slaves from Africa to the Americas. British slavers and merchants very rich through the slave trade. With their wealth, many gave money to charity and communities, so statues were put up honouring them. These controversial statues from our imperialist past are still there today.
After the death of George Floyd in the USA, BLM protests reignited the debate over memorials and statues of racist historical figures, Europe's colonial heritage, & Britain's national memory. Many argue that the slave trader statues honour those involved in the slave trade. In Bristol, Colston is one of those figures. Other than the Colston statue, streets, and businesses were named after him, too. There was Colston school, Colston tower, Colston street, Colston yard, and Colston’s Almhouse,
After cycling to Bristol, Jill and I met up with Dr. Shawn Sobers, from the We Are Bristol History Commission, which was set up following the Bristol statue toppling to help address the city’s past.
Since the BLM protests and the Bristol statue toppling, the Colston statue has been removed from Bristol Harbour and was relocated for a time to the Colston display at the M Shed museum. While that display has ended, it will be placed in a long-term exhibition in the future.
00:00-00:40 - Arriving in Bristol
00:41-01:42 - BLM Protests Spread Across the World
01:43-03:32 - The Triangular Trade & Transatlantic Slave Trade
03:33-04:36 - Statues of Slave Traders & Slave Trade Profiteers
04:37-05:53 - Who was Edward Colston?
05:54-06:22 - Other Bristol Sites named after Colston
06:23-07:50 - Legacies of Britain's Racism
07:51-10:20 - Confronting Britain's Colonial Past or "Erasing History"?
10:21-11:26 - Do Bristolians notice Bristol's Dark History?
11:27-12:10 - The Colston Display at Bristol's M Shed Museum
12:11-13:58 - It's not just Bristol: Most of Britain has Links to the Slave Trade
#bristol #edwardcolston #colstonstatue #britishslavetrade #bristoluk #bristolhistory
UPDATE: Since filming this, the display at the M Shed has ended. The results of the survey conducted there showed that 74% of all respondents wanted the statue kept in a museum, rather than return it to the plinth it once stood on or dispose of it. Preparations are currently underway to move the statue to a permanent exhibition.
It needs a good clean.
I personally think it should be put back. You can't brand a person who did a lot of good for town and community evil because he took part in a legitimate and legal activity that no longer takes place. The world changes but history does not. People should not be so touchy about something that did not directly touch their over privileged lives.
Also you deserve 100x more subs for this type of content bro keep it up 🙏
Thanks for the kind words mate! Glad you've been enjoying the videos ☺
the amount of effort that goes into these videos is absolutely insane one of the best on youtube
Thanks so much, glad you're enjoying them!
Great video! But one nitpick, wasn't Glasgow a bigger slave port than London?
Thank you! I don't think it was, everything I've read indicates that London, Liverpool, and Bristol were the biggest slave ports. Glasgow did handle a lot of the tobacco imported through the Triangular Trade though.
My own research leads me go believe very few slaves passed through any of these ports.
@@captainchaos3053 Ummm ok... not quite sure what you're trying to say as no one has stated otherwise. The boats were built, funded and run from the Cities, it's where the companies were that were behind the trade. The slaves were transported from Africa to the Americas, so of course practically none passed through British ports.
The slave trade also had a massive impact in S america where more slaves existed than in n america
Good video, glad to see youre almost at 1000 subscribers :]
Thank you, glad you liked it! Haha yeah I'm getting there slowly 😁
So of they outlawed you tube tomorrow would it be right to say you are a criminal for taking part? Things need context and perspective. If you committed a crime you go to jail, if you have mental health issues you seek help. If your skin colour is your reason for dropping out of education it's you who has the problem.
Hi. Just wondering, how did you get the license to fly your drone over Bristol. I'd like to do the same if possible.
‘None of us want the same conversations happening in 20 years time…’ truth ❤
Great stuff. Thank you.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Where’s the video about the monarchy from the monarchists perspective? I was looking forward to it I’d finally be the completed documentary
Hey, I actually finished editing it a while ago; it's episode 10 of this next series of videos (this one is episode 2), so there will be a bit more of a wait for it to come out. Initially it was going to be part of the last series, but had to be postponed during lockdowns. But there are some exciting stories on the way in the meantime, so keep an eye out😁
My last name is colston because apparently slaves share last names with the captors.
We shouldn’t judge history by the standards we presently live by today.
In the 18th and 19th centuries slavery wasn’t viewed as we see it today.
By ‘White washing’ history we wipe away anything we view as abhorrent and in doing so we forget the lessons society has learnt.
We remember the Holocaust for a reason, we should allow Colston to be celebrated for the good he did but add context against the global thinking of that time.
Really great vid and interview. I've lived in Bristol for nearly ten years. Whilst I support the toppling I found it somewhat frustrating. Symbols are one thing but the plinth is surrounded by shops and businesses which rely on modern day slavery and exploitation to make profit. Reparations and redistribution are what I was hoping for. Changing to a system not based on the whims of the elite who's power and wealth is dependent on exploitation, especially of the global south.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it! Bristol is a fantastic place to live, I'd definitely consider moving back there.
That's a very good point. As Shawn said, I suppose the statue was just something to react to. It might just have been a symbol, but at least it opened a lot of people's eyes to structural issues in society today. I think many people are more aware of the issues you're talking about since we began attempting to address our colonial history, since in a way they are a continuation of what colonial powers like Britain started centuries ago.
Yeah that’s going to take decades unfortunately
@@thefirm4606 I would prefer something that takes days, like revolution. Other than a leninist revolution I think the best chance is Portuguese style revolution, without allowing a counter revolution to take hold as happened in Portugal in the end sadly.
Are you even aware that enslavement goes on now around the world, and in many ways you probably cannot imagine.
Getting off on destroying statues and changing names is pure self indulgence. Those involved are not remotely interested in the exploitation going on in areas of great poverty now.
Those privileged enough to shout their mouths off about slavery in the past, which let's face it they know nothing about want simply to destroy something and delude themselves they are doing something heroic!
Yet they are too cowardly and self absorbed to actually address the appalling slavery which goes on now.
Current acts of abuse/enslavement include children and the elderly and sexual enslavement.
When are these so called outraged protestors going to address that reality. Too much of a brutal reality for the hypocrites, and a reminder of the material goods they purchase involved poor enslaved people toiling in mines!
I won't hold my breath expecting them to riot over actual slavery happening now!
@@TieranFreedmanyour not welcome
God bless shawn doctor in Jesus names ❤
God bless son rip
Banksy?
And the black dudes voice 😂😂
ECL
1501 Bristol took a deal with claro banking then made them Bristol a privatised charity of military.
Also I think an act of disruption of how was acted was not acceptable! I’m so glad that we will have a section once a year of this history, in one museum.
I’m so glad that all we are here we still have nhs benifit a and education!
I’m so glad we can WHITE was over the past and present it to the future generations of never happened.
People didn’t even know what protest they was at or why.
No the past wasn’t ok, but today we have what we have so why we been told that different races want to say u or we should be given more or they should say sorry! They wasn’t then.
Shame of thinking someone is or ur self is less or u should be more or that u should give a grace of more to take and act of forgiveness as we they deserve to have a chance and deserve more.
How about u realise ur subjects and we are in a time of configuration of the world!
But look at 1501 Bristola deal and what they still do it’s children they still ...
White man came across the sea
Your voice 😂😂
Who were the slave ship owners?
Were there still African slaves in Bristol after 1807?
Emancipation Proclamation didn't happen until 1863 and STILL slavery didn't officially end bc of a document. The James DeWolf family of RI continued to smuggle slaves to supply the Southern States.
Black people matter my mums from Kenya 🇰🇪
Well you see, judging the past like shoud not be done.
Yes they profited off of slavery.
But used that money to build schools, houses, etc. Etc.
So leave them be, because thats what these statues are honoring.
Otherwise you migth as well every single building they did and have a concrete slab.
Sueing the English government European government courts
Awful.
Stand up to English racists
Best thing to ever happen to Bristol legend