Who was Edward Colston? The problematic legacy of the Bristol slave trader

Fresh debate has been sparked by the actions of protesters this weekend
Emma Clarke8 June 2020

A statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled by protesters in Bristol this weekend, with footage of the 5 foot 5 bronze figure being pushed into the docks since going viral.

The city of Bristol has long celebrated the legacy of Colston, who was born there in 1636; not only was there the memorial statue placed on an avenue named after him, the city's concert hall also bears his name, as do multiple schools in the area.

While some have hailed Colston for his philanthropic work, others have criticised the council's decision to keep so many physical reminders of the merchant, given his involvement in the slave trade.

The debate has been reignited, owing to the actions of protesters this weekend, who stood in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, as public outcry over the death of George Floyd and countless other Black citizens continues to sweep the globe.

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Here, we take a closer look at who Edward Colston was and why his legacy is so problematic.

Who was Edward Colston and why is his legacy so controversial?

Although Colston donated to various local charities and contributed to educational institutions across Bristol, the historical figure also made his fortune from trafficking enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Beginning his career as an apprentice, Bristolian Colston shipped goods from London and by 1672 had built a lucrative trading empire with Spain, Portugal, Italy and Africa. He traded everything from textiles to wool.

While Colston was born and raised in Bristol, he never actually lived there as an adult; instead, he was based in London and conducted most of his business from The City. He was born into an established merchant family, with his father William being one of the wealthiest traders of the early Stuart period.

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Edward then joined the Royal African Company in 1680, which had monopoly over the west African slave trade between 1672 and 1698.

Several members of Edward's family also joined the company; his brother Thomas provided trade beads in order to buy slaves, which were a form of decorative currency used between the 16th and 20th century.

The Royal African Company (RAC) was known to have branded its initials on the chests of slaves and it is believed that Colston sold around 84,000 African people - including men, women and children - in the Americas and the Caribbean. Furthermore, it is estimated that 19,000 of those enslaved died en route.

Colston then used the profits made from trading slaves to finance his money lending business, selling his shares to William of Orange in 1689.

It was only after this point that Colston focused on more philanthropic ventures, donating money to schools, hospitals and other institutions in both Bristol and London. It should also be noted that Colston never donated to the cause of Black people, despite having profited from them and establishing his wealth via the trading of slaves.

What actions had Bristol council taken previously regarding the statue?

In February 2018, it was announced that Bristol council were looking into changing the plaque which accompanied the statue of Colston, to acknowledge the role he played in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

At the time, Ros Martin, one of the driving forces behind the Countering Colston campaign to change the plaque, told the BBC: "The plaque is good but we need it to be part of an ongoing examination of historical narrative and a change of attitudes and culture.

"What we want goes beyond tokenism - we want institutions and organisations in the city to examine their history and acknowledge their individual roles in the slave trade and beyond."

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A petition that was circulated last year calling for the removal of the statue picked up momentum. Its mission stated: "Whilst history shouldn't be forgotten, these people who benefited from the enslavement of individuals do not deserve the honour of a statue. This should be reserved for those who bring about positive change and who fight for peace, equality and social unity.

"We hereby encourage Bristol city council to remove the Edward Colston Statue. He does not represent our diverse and multicultural city."

Indeed, history professor Kate Williams has since tweeted a thread about the development, stating that while it was agreed that the plaque would be changed last year, there was debate around how it should be reworded.

In her thread, Professor Williams writes: "Later in 2018, Bristol Council unveiled the wording for the second plaque, 'As a high official of the Royal African Company from 1680 to 1692, Edward Colston played an active role in the enslavement of over 84,000 Africans (including 12,000 children) of whom over 19,000 died en route to the Caribbean and America. Colston also invested in the Spanish slave trade and in slave-produced sugar. As Tory MP for Bristol (1710-1713), he defended the city’s ‘right’ to trade in enslaved Africans. Bristolians who did not subscribe to his religious and political beliefs were not allowed to benefit from his charities.'"

The role of the Merchant Venturers is also noteworthy, as they campaigned to remove the reference to 12,000 children, and wished to focus more on Colston's charity work.

Indeed, the debate about language, history and legacy has been a long one, and meant a delay in action.

On Sunday, June 7, protesters who align with the Black Lives Matter movement toppled the statue which has been positioned in the centre of the city since 1895 using rope. They then took the statue to Bristol harbour, where it was subsequently tossed into the sea.

Since, Bristol's mayor Marvin Rees has hailed the action as an "iconic moment". Labour leader Keir Starmer has also spoken out about the action of the protesters, saying that while toppling the statue was "completely wrong", it should have been removed "long ago".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, however, criticised the anti-racism protests for being "subverted by thuggery".

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