(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION) [DUNTON JOHN] Athenian Mercury Volum

Sale 2271 - Lot 7

Price Realized: $ 390

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750

(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION.) [DUNTON, JOHN.] Athenian Mercury, Volume II, Number 30 Whether t'is Lawful to Trade with Negroes, and to Buy 'em of one another? Single small folio leaf, printed on both sides; paper evenly toned. [London: Printed for Dunton, 1691

Set Alert for Similar Items

Additional Details

An early and interesting moral discussion on slavery, written in the form of an advice column.The Athenian Mercury was a periodical written by The Athenian Society and published in London twice weekly between 17 March 1690 [i.e. 1691 new Calendar] and 14 June 1697. John Dunton was the editor in chief, and scholars credit him with initiating the advice column format. Dunton formed a "society of experts," which he called The Athenian Society, to give their knowledgeable advice on questions submitted by the magazine's readers. In the present issue, a very important moral question is posed: "Whether 'tis Lawful to Trade with Negroes, and to Buy 'em of one another?" --- Is it (morally) "lawful" to buy Africans from other Africans? At this time, the slave trade had not as yet taken the quantum leap that it would, following the huge demand for labor from Britain's West India colonies in the last half of the 18th century.