200 Years. The Abolition of slavery

[John Parry]

"The ordinary people of Britain have long been opposed to slavery although their opposition caused them personal suffering. The outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 signalled the start of four years of misery for the cotton-workers of Manchester and its satellite towns. As Lincoln's Union forces blockaded the Confederate ports from which raw cotton was exported, Lancashire's cotton supplies dried up and the mills closed.

The result was hardship on a vast scale, with many thousands of workers reduced to grinding poverty, forced to exist on minimal state help and charity soup kitchens. Lancashire's poor could have been forgiven had they pointed an accusing finger at Lincoln. Instead, on New Year's Eve, 1862, at the height of their despair, they met in Manchester's Free Trade Hall and overwhelmingly pledged their support for the Union forces.

Downtrodden themselves, these workers empathised with the plantation slaves whom the Union forces were fighting to free. Lincoln was well aware of the sacrifice Lancashire workers were being forced to make; he sent them a letter of thanks just three weeks later."

"I've been rootin' an' stirrin' amongst the Surat,
Till I'm well nigh to gettin' as blind as a bat"

Surat was poor quality cotton from India, but it didn't end there - our Lancashire lads went out there and joined up in the Union army. They hated slavery. I do.

Regards - John

[nikonbob]

John

Interesting read, I was not aware of any of it. It is too bad that slavery of sorts is still alive and well today albeit not the variety you were talking about. You no longer have to physically take people from their homeland to enslave them. We do that economically to various parts of the world generally under the guise of free trade/global economy. I guess the good fight is not yet over.

Bob

Bob

[kiev4a]

John:

Hadn't heard that story either. They voted their hearts instead of their pocketbooks--not many people doing that anymore. Three cheers for the lads of Lancashire.

Wayne

[John Parry]

Still remember my grandfather referring to something good as being "Best in't Northern Union", Yes - the Irish had their potato famine, we had our cotton famine. It crucified us - they buggered off!

Regards - JOHN

[John Parry]

Yes - lion hearts. Same lads who won 6 VCs before breakfast at Gallipoli in WW1. And the kids are desecrating the war memorials now. Breaks your heart.

Regards - John

[nikonbob]

Seems like kids respect very little these days. They caught some kids awhile back urinating on the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

Bob

[herron]

John:
Another little piece of history I was unaware of. Thanks for sharing it.

Today's kids react without any real knowledge of all that happened before them, or what others had to sacrifice to give them the opportunities they now enjoy (and take for granted). They think they're making some sort of statement about current world conditions, when all they're really doing is dishonoring those who gave so much. You're right...it is sad.

[Randy]

Todays Youth....YIKES!!!

[byuphoto]

we were all, once todays youth. but I do agree it is different. i remember the memorial day parades and the veterans day ones of my youth. I still get a knot when i see Ol' Glory waving. i think of all the brave lads that never came home from foriegn shores. Some of them were my friends and comrades in SE Asia. I understand what the old Vets meant when they used to say no one remembers anymore. The Viet vets have quietly gone away. The youngest are in their 50's and the oldest are drawing pensions. Soon all the WWII vets will go the way of the WWI ones then Korea and finally my generation turn will come. I often wonder who will b e the last Viet vet. When I started going to the VA clinic I was one of the young ones now the desrt storm vets are showing up and look oh so young
Sorry for hijacking the trhead and getting melancholy

[PeterW]

It's very sad the way those who fought and were once welcomed home as heroes are soon forgotten by the general public, together with those who never made it home. But 'twas ever thus.

More than 100 years ago Rudyard Kipling, champion of the 'other ranks' in Queen Victoria's army, wrote a rather bitter little poem about a retired long-serving Company Sergeant Major, hero of several of 'Queen Victoria's Wars' forced to supplement a meagre pension as a low-paid courier delivering letters by hand between offices London. It finished:

Think what 'e's been,
Think what 'e's seen,
Think of 'is pension ... and
Gawd Save The Queen.

See also his poem 'Tommy'. just Google for it.

PeterW