1848 marked the end of slavery for “the country of the rights of Man;” however, upon reading Nelly Schmidt’s scrupulous historical exploration, the question remains: “La France a-t-elle aboli l’esclavage?” [Did France abolish slavery?] or did it discretely pursue colonial politics in such a way as to secure a reservoir of cheap manpower and the control of overseas economy? In 1848, when France abolished slavery for the second time in its history, new colonial policies were set into place opening access to citizenship in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana. Nevertheless, one century later, in the midst of social and economic disaster, the conditions of the “nouveaux libres” were not much different from the previous. Why?

La France a-t-elle aboli l’esclavage? Guadeloupe-Martinique-Guyane 1820-1935 answers this question by shedding light on sides of French history that had remained in the dark up to this moment. Through the excavation and analysis of archival material, Schmidt examines the long crisis suffered by these territories, where a veritable state of siege was instituted for fear of revolt. These lands become colonies under surveillance, where any vague hint of a longing for independence is hunted down and stifled on the spot. According to Schmidt, they are colonies where the economy remained in the hands of the planters under state acquiescence and control. This book offers answers to present-day questions about the discriminatory legacy of the old slave regime.

Nelly Schmidt is research director at the CNRS (the National Center for Scientific Research at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne). Her research focuses on Caribbean history, abolition of slavery, and colonial politics. Her works include Abolitionnistes de l’esclavage et réformateurs des colonies 1820-1851 (2001), Victor Schoelcher et l’abolition de l’esclavage (1994), and the biography Victor Schoelcher (1991).

For review (in French) and purchasing information, see http://www.editions-perrin.fr/fiche.php?F_ean13=9782262030407