Atlantic Abolitionism and National Reputation: The Intersection of Ethics and Policy in the United States and Britain

Drawn from the current book project, “Redemption: The American Revolution, Ethics, and Abolitionism in Britain and the United States,” this talk explores Atlantic abolitionism and the connection between ethics and public policy. Beginning immediately after Britain’s defeat in the Revolution, it frames the British movement to end slavery as a conscious effort to assert the country’s reputation and moral superiority over the United States. It advances that American abolitionism, in turn, became a direct response to the British challenge.