social modern studies

• The two major forms of labour introduced in the colonies

  • Slavery
  • Indentured labour
• Slavery


  The most inhuman form of labour that existed at that time (17th -19th century) in Mauritius and other colonies
• Once brought to Mauritius, slaves had no opportunity of ever returning to their country or seeing their family and friends again
• Slavery that developed during the period of colonisation was characterised by severe physical punishment for any slave who displeased his or her owner
• Enslave


  To make a person slave by taking away his or her freedom and forcing him/her to work for no pay under threats and punishment
• Chattel slavery


  People were treated as goods, bought and sold in markets, hired out and even insured as goods. Enslaved men, women and children became the 'property' of their owner
• Chattel slaves (also known as 'bien meuble') had no rights and their children who were born in Mauritius also became the property of the slave owner
• Slavery existed in ancient times. However, the kind of slavery that developed during the period of colonisation is described as a form of 'exile' or a 'prison'
• Slaves sold in the market
• Slave being branded
• Slave being punished
• Life was very hard for the slaves. They were ill-treated and punished harshly
• In Mauritius as in many other countries at that time, slaves were not treated well. But we know little about the life of slaves, especially about how they felt or thought. This is because they did not write down their thoughts
• We often have to rely on documents which were written by slave owners or officials. When reading these documents, we have to judge whether these documents tell us the whole truth or only part of the truth
• Sources from which we can know about the life of the slaves

  • Pictures
  • Documents
  • Archaeological artefacts and excavations
  • Laws such as the Code Noir
• Collect pictures of the different sources that you have listed above. Create a poster and write one sentence to show how the source is important in providing information about the past
• Living conditions depended on where the slaves lived and the type of work they did. It also depended on the type of owner they had
• In Mauritius, the slaves working in the sugar mills or on sugar plantations worked very hard for long hours in difficult conditions
• Some 3,000 slaves also belonged to the Government. They too worked hard in the port and harbour, fought as soldiers, built roads and bridges and most buildings in the 18th century
• Many slaves died because there were no proper hospitals for them. Women and children were particularly affected by poor health and diseases
• Children also had to work very hard from the age of 12 and were not allowed to go to school
• The French occupied Rodrigues since 1725, but there was no permanent settlement on the island
• In 1736, there were two colonists and six slaves. By 1761 there were twelve to fifteen slaves in Rodrigues supervised by a French officer to collect turtles at various places in the island
• As from 1792, settlers started arriving with their slaves in Rodrigues. Most colonists cultivated vegetable gardens and practised fishing. Some tried growing grape vines and indigo
• The most famous and largest slave owner was Philibert Marragon who was the administrator of Rodrigues and the owner of thirty seven slaves
• Study Table 2 above. Complete the bar graph to show the increase in the number of settlers and slaves in Rodrigues
• Read the extract provided. It describes the life of the slaves in Rodrigues. In groups, discuss and compare the life of the slaves in Rodrigues with the slaves in Mauritius. Write a few sentences about what you have discussed
• Slaves never accepted their enslavement. They fought very hard against slavery in their own way
• From the moment they were captured and sold, many revolted and tried to escape from the ships
• Very often they ran away and became maroons
• Once in Mauritius, they continued to escape even though they faced severe punishment
• Women could not run away into the forest as the men because they often had children. So many of them ran away into the town of Port Louis and hid in the huts of other slaves
• Even though they were not allowed to practise their original culture and speak their language, they adapted the original culture and created a unique culture of their own which has survived to this day
• Even though they were not provided with proper medical facilities, they made use of existing plants and herbs to cure themselves
• Many became skilled and were able to sell their goods they produced at the market and save some money
• The Société des Amis des Noirs and the Anti-Slavery Society were organisations that worked towards the abolition of slavery
• Jacques Pierre Brissot founded the Société des Amis des Noirs in France
• William Wilberforce became the voice of the abolition of slave trade & slavery movement in Britain
• New laws were passed called the 'amelioration laws'. The purpose was to improve the conditions of the slaves
• Some of these laws were

  • Registration of slaves in the island: names, age,height
  • Flogging of women became illegal
  • Slaves could own property
  • Slaves could give evidence in court
  • Protector of slaves appointed