Problems of Adjustment to Freedom by the Slaves

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After emancipation slaves believe that they would have access to all that once was a dream to them. There plans were shattered when planters began to cut wages and raised rents. They often evicted free people they disliked or whose work they did not need. While they were free, they had many problems of adjustment to freedom. Some of the major problems included:  No compensation  They had no money  They were still considered inferior  Laws were passed to ensure they didn’t have access to lands  They receive low wages. It’s important to note that although emancipation was the end result of the slave trade and slavery in the British Caribbean, only children less than six years old were to be freed immediately everyone else could be made to serve apprenticeship if assemblies thought it necessary. Apprentices would have to work 40 and half hours a week without pay for their former enslavers, but beyond that they could demand a wage or hire themselves to another planter. (Claypole & Robottom, 2009) As freedom for slaves became inevitable, the pro-slavery lobby switched tactics to request compensation for the human ‘property’ that was to be taken from Plantation owners. Daniel O’Connell an abolitionist of slavery had opposed to compensation for the planters. He asked why they should be compensated for something parliament had declared illegal and wrong. Subsequent to this had Parliament paid plantation owners £20 million in compensation for slaves which was one quarter of the national budget at the time. Slaves were to receive sixteen acres of land but Slaves received no compensation and once emancipation was granted they were given no extra resources. After emancipation some slave were left with nothing and the commodity that could help them survive they had none. They needed money but unfortunately many slaves had no money. In the Caribbean material

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