Comment on the history and legacy of slavery in relation to Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea

The first 200 words of this essay...

Comment on the history and legacy of slavery in relation to Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea

"Everyone knows that the colonial world was a haven for the godly, a refuge for the oppressed, a challenge to the adventurous and the last resort of scoundrels." (A.E Smith, Colonists in Bondage: White Servitude and Convict Labour)

The history and legacy of slavery is deeply intertwined within British colonial history, and is still to this day the source of some animosity between Britain and her colonies. It has always been the case that the wealthy exploit the poor, and Britain was by no means an exception to the rule. Her colonies, particularly those in the Caribbean were referred to as the "Sugar Colonies" and added much wealth to Britain. According to Arthur Young, an estimated three million pounds per year was added to the wealth of Britain, wealth which was not transferred onto the Caribbean islands.

The more successful entrepreneurs designed systems of exclusion to ensure they could dominate colonial society at the expense of middling and smaller entrepreneurs as well as all non-whites. These systems included having property qualifications, membership of professional bodies and the possession of a university degree.