Slavery in Europe

Code Noir

Jan 1, 1685

Code NoirThe Code Noir is a collection of regulations decreed by Louis XIV in 1685. The Code restricts the activity of slaves in French colonies by enforcing the Roman Catholic religion and evicting Jews from French colonies. It also legitimizes corporal punishment as a form of disciplinary control. The Code encourages slavery as normal behaviour, and consolidates the preliminary French view that slaves were property and were to be subservient to their masters at all times

Nakaz (Instruction)

Jan 1, 1764

Nakaz (Instruction)Catherine the Great ruled as an enlightened despot from 1762 to 1796. She wrote her Nakaz, or Instruction, as a statement of how she will rule Russia based on enlightenment values. In it, amongst entries for the westernization and education of her people, she also advocates for equal rights for all, including serfs. Catherine the Great advocated for equality to be given to serfs during her rule, and ensuring that they were given certain rights that they were not previously subjected to.

Somerset v Stewart

Feb 1, 1772

Somerset v StewartThe case of Somerset v Stewart was a prominent case that challenged the view of chattel slavery in England. Somerset, a slave, was bought in Boston by Stewart, a customs officer, and was brought to England to accompany Stewart. Somerset escaped,and upon recapture, he was sent back to England. Abolitionists fought for Somerset's emancipation, and it was granted. Somerset's case set a precedent and was later used to fuel abolitionist movements.

Treaty of Paris

Nov 20, 1815

Treaty of Paris 1815 After Napoleon reinstates slavery to further his goals for the future of France, its ill-reception causes him to abolish it again in the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris of 1815 ends the slave trade in France and French colonies.

Slavery Abolition Act

Aug 28, 1833

Slavery Abolition ActThe Slave Abolition Act was passed in England in 1833, and officially abolished slavery in England and its colonies. Slave owners were compensated, but slavery of people over the age of six was still ongoing, under the different title of apprenticeship. The last stage of apprenticeship ended in 1840 as a response to the Slave Abolition Act.

The Gulag Archipelago

Dec 28, 1973

The Gulag Archipelago is a novel published about Stalinist Gulag camps by Aleksandr Soltzhenitsyn. He was sentenced to 8 years in the camp, and reflects upon his personal experiences with testimonies and details on the underground workings of the labour camps, and made a large impact on the public upon its publication, when the horrors of the camp were made known to the public.