Irish in the New World-as slaves

[packman]

Something new to me- knew about Australia , but not this

"After the Battle of Kinsale at the beginning of the 17th century, the English were faced with a problem of some 30,000 military prisoners, which they solved by creating an official policy of banishment. Other Irish leaders had voluntarily exiled to the continent, in fact, the Battle of Kinsale marked the beginning of the so-called “Wild Geese”, those Irish banished from their homeland. Banishment, however, did not solve the problem entirely, so James II encouraged selling the Irish as slaves to planters and settlers in the New World colonies. "

Article goes on to flesh out this period of genocide , where the English preferred Irish slaves on their New World plantations because they were "free" for the taking whereas African slaves had to be bought.

http://www.kavanaghfamily.com/articles/2003/20030618jfc.htm

[hedgehog]

1. I've always maintained that many of the Island accents have a bit of brogue

at their base! Not to mention - did tap dancing evolve from the collision of step dancing and African styles?

[PumpkinAle]

2. If you can read the book

White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America by Don Jordan and Michael Walsh.

Very eye opening, very sad.

[malthaussen]

3. James II? Cromwell started it.

He also deported people from the West Country (who were largely royalist) to the sugar islands as slaves. Hey, it was tough work, they needed bodies.

-- Mal