Liberty, Equality, Slavery : Debating the Slave Trade in Revolutionary France.

This article examines the intense political controversy in Paris during the winter of 1789–1790 over the future legality of the French transatlantic slave trade amid the revolutionary ideals proclaimed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. It reveals how abolitionist groups like the Society of the Friends of the Blacks and proslavery commercial lobbyists from France’s chambers of commerce engaged in extensive behind-the-scenes lobbying, correspondence, and committee work to influence the National Constituent Assembly’s approach to the slave trade. Despite widespread debate and pressure, the Assembly avoided open floor discussion and instead passed the March 8, 1790 Decree Concerning the Colonies, which upheld the legality of the slave trade and granted colonial assemblies significant autonomy, effectively reconciling revolutionary principles of liberty and equality with the continuation of slavery. The article highlights how this contest shaped early French representative governance, involved diverse political actors beyond elected deputies, and set precedents that influenced the French empire’s colonial policies and the persistence of slavery well into the nineteenth century.