Dr Jesús Sanjurjo | University of Cambridge (original) (raw)
Books by Dr Jesús Sanjurjo
University of Alabama Press, 2021
Throughout the nineteenth century, very few people in Spain campaigned to stop the slave trade an... more Throughout the nineteenth century, very few people in Spain campaigned to stop the slave trade and did even less to abolish slavery. Even when some supported abolition, the reasons that moved them were not always humanitarian, liberal, or egalitarian. How abolitionist ideas were received, shaped, and transformed during this period has been ripe for study. Jesús Sanjurjo’s In the Blood of Our Brothers: Abolitionism and the End of the Slave Trade in Spain’s Atlantic Empire, 1800–1870 provides a comprehensive theory of the history, the politics, and the economics of the persistence and growth of the slave trade in the Spanish empire even as other countries moved toward abolition.
Sanjurjo privileges the central role that British activists and diplomats played in advancing the abolitionist cause in Spain. In so doing, he brings to attention the complex and uneven development of abolitionist and antiabolitionist discourses in Spain’s public life, from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the transatlantic trade. His delineation of the ideological and political tension between Spanish liberalism and imperialism is crucial to formulating a fuller explanation of the reasons for the failure of anti–slave trade initiatives from 1811 to the 1860s. Slave trade was tied to the notion of inviolable property rights, and slavery persisted and peaked following three successful liberal revolutions in Spain.
Articles / Artículos by Dr Jesús Sanjurjo
Atlantic Studies: Global Currents, 2020
Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on th... more Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on the significant growth in scholarship on unfree labour in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds during the past two decades. The essays revisit some of the persistent problems posed by the traditional comparative literature on slavery and indentured labour and identify new and exciting areas for future research.
Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies, 2020
Democratic ideas were used to legitimize both the need to abolish and to preserve the slave trade... more Democratic ideas were used to legitimize both the need to abolish and to preserve the slave trade and slavery in the Spanish empire during the nineteenth century. This article will demonstrate that the relationship between “slavery” and “democracy” in the Spanish political debate is complex and changing. For political actors, on various places of the ideological spectrum, democratic ideas were presented both as incompatible with slavery and as a reason to oppose its abolition.
Bulletin of Latin American Research, 2017
The proposal of Agustín de Argüelles to abolish the slave trade in 1811 was crucial in defining a... more The proposal of Agustín de Argüelles to abolish the slave trade in 1811 was crucial in defining a new ideological stance within the Spanish political debate by adopting the moral condemnation elaborated by the British abolitionist movement. His initiative was the result of a coordinated strategy with the British authorities and was key in the construction of early abolitionist discourses in Spain. This article explores the political, ideological and diplomatic influence of Britain in the development of early anti-slavery and anti-slave trade discourses in Spain and the centrality of Argüelles' proposal.
Anuario de Estudios Atlánticos, 62, 2016
El artículo analiza el uso diferenciado de los términos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en... more El artículo analiza el uso diferenciado de los términos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en la prensa española liberal publicada en el exilio londinense entre 1818 y 1825. Además de un análisis semántico, se pretende responder a las implicaciones ideológicas y culturales derivadas de este uso distintivo y analizar el significado del concepto de esclavitud en el contexto del liberalismo político español. Tras una categorización de los conceptos, se aborda el uso del término “negros” en contraposición al empleo retórico de los conceptos “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en el marco de la construcción de los discursos liberales de los siglos XVIII y XIX; y particularmente en la construcción de los primeros discursos antitratistas y antiesclavistas en España. Por último, se presenta un análisis del empleo distintivo de los citados términos en los dos periódicos más relevantes de la prensa publicada por liberales españoles exiliados en Londres: El Español Constitucional y Ocios de los Españoles Emigrados.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This article examines the differences in the use of the terms: “negroes”, “slaves” and “slavery” in the Spanish press published in London while in liberal exile between 1818 and 1825. The aim is to frame the ideological and cultural implications arising from said differences and to analyse the meaning of slavery in the context of Spanish liberalism. After categorising the concepts, the article tackles the term “blacks” in opposition to the use and rhetoric of the concepts of “slaves” and “slavery”, in the context of the construction of liberal discourses in the 18th and 19th centuries; and particularly in the shaping of the first anti-slave trade and anti-slavery discourses in Spain. Finally, this article analyses the differences in the use of the aforementioned terms in the two most relevant newspapers published in London by the Spanish exiles: El Español Constitucional and Ocios de los Españoles Emigrados.
Anales. Museo de América, 20, 2013
RESUMEN: En este estudio se analiza el proceso histórico de configuración del istmo de Panamá, ... more RESUMEN:
En este estudio se analiza el proceso histórico de configuración del istmo de Panamá, como enclave imprescindible de paso e intercambio mercantil entre el ámbito de producción minero sudamericano y la Península Ibérica. Concentrándose en este punto en la morfología y significación de los caminos transístmicos que conectaban los océanos Pacífico y Atlántico. Asimismo, se advierte que la conservación de los caminos como patrimonio histórico resulta en la actualidad deficiente, haciéndose preciso un trabajo sistemático de rehabilitación material de los mismos y una labor de concienciación ciudadana acerca de su importancia que involucre a la población panameña.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Panamá, Portobelo, Nombre de Dios, Caminos Transístmicos, Ferias, Chagres, Siglos XVI-XVIII.
ABSTRACT:
In this paper we analyze the historical process of how the Isthmus of Panama became an essential route and commercial exchange enclave between the South American mining production area and the Iberian Peninsula. The work focuses in the morphology and significance of the transisthmian roads that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is also stated that the preservation of these paths and roads as an element of cultural heritage is currently quite poor, thus making it necessary to carry out systematic rehabilitation work as well as a public awareness campaign among the Panamanian population.
KEY WORDS: Panama, Portobelo, Nombre de Dios, Transisthmian Roads, Fairs, Chagres, 16th-18th centuries.
RESUMÉ:
Cette étude consiste en une analyse du processus historique de configuration de l’isthme de Panama comme enclave indispensable pour le transit et le commerce de la production minière entre l’Amérique du Sud et la Péninsule Ibérique. L’accent est mis sur l’importance de la morphologie et sur la signification des chemins transismiques qui relient le Pacifique et l’Atlantique. A signaler de même que la conservation des voies en tant que patrimoine historique est actuellement déficiente, d’ù la nécessité d’un travail systématique de restauration matérielle et d’un travail de développement de la conscience civique de la population panaméenne, compte tenu de son importance.
MOTS CLÉS: Panama, Portobelo, Nombre de Dios, Chemins Transismiques, Foires, XVIème-XVIIIème siécle.
Book Reviews / Reseñas by Dr Jesús Sanjurjo
History Workshop Journal,, 2022
Written thirty-five years ago and published only recently, this work by the late Julius Scott (19... more Written thirty-five years ago and published only recently, this work by the late Julius Scott (1955–2021) is a classic in the historiography of the Atlantic world and a benchmark for historical studies ‘from below’, following in the footsteps of E. P. Thompson and George Rudé. The original text, Scott's doctoral thesis defended in 1986, had circulated in photocopies or as PDFs among students and researchers for years, but its publication as a monograph (2018 in English and 2021 in Spanish) inaugurates a new stage of this celebrated work. The Common Wind focuses on the stories of those who had no master in the era of the Haitian Revolution and explores their ability to overcome national and imperial borders, to build revolutionary messages and projects, to develop collective and individual strategies of resistance against physical and symbolic violence of colonial societies, to navigate towards freedom.
Bulletin of Spanish Studies: Hispanic Studies and Researches on Spain, Portugal and Latin America, 2019
Hispanic American Historical Review, 2019
Revista de Indias, 264, 2015
Iberoamericana. América Latina-España-Portugal. no. 52
Iberoamericana. América Latina-España-Portugal. no. 49 (2013), Mar 2013
Papers by Dr Jesús Sanjurjo
Atlantic Studies, 2020
Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on th... more Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on the significant growth in scholarship on unfree labour in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds during the past two decades. The essays revisit some of the persistent problems posed by the traditional comparative literature on slavery and indentured labour and identify new and exciting areas for future research.
Spain was the last country in the Atlantic World to tolerate the traffic in slaves across the Oce... more Spain was the last country in the Atlantic World to tolerate the traffic in slaves across the Ocean. For four centuries, millions of men, women and children were banished from their homelands and forced into a life of slavery in the Americas. Spanish abolitionist activists challenged this reality and contested the public legitimacy of the odious commerce. This thesis analyses how abolitionist ideas were shaped, transformed and developed in Spain’s empire and the crucial role that British activists and diplomats played in advancing the abolitionist cause. It explores the complexity of abolitionist and anti- abolitionist ideas in Spain’s public life from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the Atlantic slave trade.
El articulo analiza el uso diferenciado de los terminos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en l... more El articulo analiza el uso diferenciado de los terminos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en la prensa espanola liberal publicada en el exilio londinense entre 1818 y 1825. Ademas de un analisis semantico, se pretende responder a las implicaciones ideologicas y culturales derivadas de este uso distintivo y analizar el significado del concepto de esclavitud en el contexto del liberalismo politico espanol. Tras una categorizacion de los conceptos, se aborda el uso del termino “negros” en contraposicion al empleo retorico de los conceptos “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en el marco de la construccion de los discursos liberales de los siglos XVIII y XIX; y particularmente en la construccion de los primeros discursos antitratistas y antiesclavistas en Espana. Por ultimo, se presenta un analisis del empleo distintivo de los citados terminos en los dos periodicos mas relevantes de la prensa publicada por liberales espanoles exiliados en Londres: El Espanol Constitucional y Ocios de los Espano...
espanolEn este trabajo se analiza el proceso historico de configuracion del istmo de Panama, como... more espanolEn este trabajo se analiza el proceso historico de configuracion del istmo de Panama, como enclave imprescindible de paso e intercambio mercantil entre el ambito de produccion minero sudamericano y la Peninsula Iberica. Concentrandose en este punto en la morfologia y significacion de los caminos transistmicos que conectaban los oceanos Pacifico y Atlantico. Asimismo, se advierte que la conservacion de los caminos como patrimonio historico resulta en la actualidad deficiente, haciendose preciso un trabajo sistematico de rehabilitacion material de los mismos y una labor de concienciacion ciudadana acerca de su importancia que involucre a la poblacion panamena. EnglishThis paper analyses the historical process which describes the Isthmus of Panama becoming an essential route and trading post between mining areas of South America and the Iberian Peninsula. The work focuses on the morphology and significance of the transisthmian roads that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
Hispanic American Historical Review
University of Alabama Press, 2021
Throughout the nineteenth century, very few people in Spain campaigned to stop the slave trade an... more Throughout the nineteenth century, very few people in Spain campaigned to stop the slave trade and did even less to abolish slavery. Even when some supported abolition, the reasons that moved them were not always humanitarian, liberal, or egalitarian. How abolitionist ideas were received, shaped, and transformed during this period has been ripe for study. Jesús Sanjurjo’s In the Blood of Our Brothers: Abolitionism and the End of the Slave Trade in Spain’s Atlantic Empire, 1800–1870 provides a comprehensive theory of the history, the politics, and the economics of the persistence and growth of the slave trade in the Spanish empire even as other countries moved toward abolition.
Sanjurjo privileges the central role that British activists and diplomats played in advancing the abolitionist cause in Spain. In so doing, he brings to attention the complex and uneven development of abolitionist and antiabolitionist discourses in Spain’s public life, from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the transatlantic trade. His delineation of the ideological and political tension between Spanish liberalism and imperialism is crucial to formulating a fuller explanation of the reasons for the failure of anti–slave trade initiatives from 1811 to the 1860s. Slave trade was tied to the notion of inviolable property rights, and slavery persisted and peaked following three successful liberal revolutions in Spain.
Atlantic Studies: Global Currents, 2020
Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on th... more Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on the significant growth in scholarship on unfree labour in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds during the past two decades. The essays revisit some of the persistent problems posed by the traditional comparative literature on slavery and indentured labour and identify new and exciting areas for future research.
Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies, 2020
Democratic ideas were used to legitimize both the need to abolish and to preserve the slave trade... more Democratic ideas were used to legitimize both the need to abolish and to preserve the slave trade and slavery in the Spanish empire during the nineteenth century. This article will demonstrate that the relationship between “slavery” and “democracy” in the Spanish political debate is complex and changing. For political actors, on various places of the ideological spectrum, democratic ideas were presented both as incompatible with slavery and as a reason to oppose its abolition.
Bulletin of Latin American Research, 2017
The proposal of Agustín de Argüelles to abolish the slave trade in 1811 was crucial in defining a... more The proposal of Agustín de Argüelles to abolish the slave trade in 1811 was crucial in defining a new ideological stance within the Spanish political debate by adopting the moral condemnation elaborated by the British abolitionist movement. His initiative was the result of a coordinated strategy with the British authorities and was key in the construction of early abolitionist discourses in Spain. This article explores the political, ideological and diplomatic influence of Britain in the development of early anti-slavery and anti-slave trade discourses in Spain and the centrality of Argüelles' proposal.
Anuario de Estudios Atlánticos, 62, 2016
El artículo analiza el uso diferenciado de los términos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en... more El artículo analiza el uso diferenciado de los términos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en la prensa española liberal publicada en el exilio londinense entre 1818 y 1825. Además de un análisis semántico, se pretende responder a las implicaciones ideológicas y culturales derivadas de este uso distintivo y analizar el significado del concepto de esclavitud en el contexto del liberalismo político español. Tras una categorización de los conceptos, se aborda el uso del término “negros” en contraposición al empleo retórico de los conceptos “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en el marco de la construcción de los discursos liberales de los siglos XVIII y XIX; y particularmente en la construcción de los primeros discursos antitratistas y antiesclavistas en España. Por último, se presenta un análisis del empleo distintivo de los citados términos en los dos periódicos más relevantes de la prensa publicada por liberales españoles exiliados en Londres: El Español Constitucional y Ocios de los Españoles Emigrados.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This article examines the differences in the use of the terms: “negroes”, “slaves” and “slavery” in the Spanish press published in London while in liberal exile between 1818 and 1825. The aim is to frame the ideological and cultural implications arising from said differences and to analyse the meaning of slavery in the context of Spanish liberalism. After categorising the concepts, the article tackles the term “blacks” in opposition to the use and rhetoric of the concepts of “slaves” and “slavery”, in the context of the construction of liberal discourses in the 18th and 19th centuries; and particularly in the shaping of the first anti-slave trade and anti-slavery discourses in Spain. Finally, this article analyses the differences in the use of the aforementioned terms in the two most relevant newspapers published in London by the Spanish exiles: El Español Constitucional and Ocios de los Españoles Emigrados.
Anales. Museo de América, 20, 2013
RESUMEN: En este estudio se analiza el proceso histórico de configuración del istmo de Panamá, ... more RESUMEN:
En este estudio se analiza el proceso histórico de configuración del istmo de Panamá, como enclave imprescindible de paso e intercambio mercantil entre el ámbito de producción minero sudamericano y la Península Ibérica. Concentrándose en este punto en la morfología y significación de los caminos transístmicos que conectaban los océanos Pacífico y Atlántico. Asimismo, se advierte que la conservación de los caminos como patrimonio histórico resulta en la actualidad deficiente, haciéndose preciso un trabajo sistemático de rehabilitación material de los mismos y una labor de concienciación ciudadana acerca de su importancia que involucre a la población panameña.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Panamá, Portobelo, Nombre de Dios, Caminos Transístmicos, Ferias, Chagres, Siglos XVI-XVIII.
ABSTRACT:
In this paper we analyze the historical process of how the Isthmus of Panama became an essential route and commercial exchange enclave between the South American mining production area and the Iberian Peninsula. The work focuses in the morphology and significance of the transisthmian roads that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is also stated that the preservation of these paths and roads as an element of cultural heritage is currently quite poor, thus making it necessary to carry out systematic rehabilitation work as well as a public awareness campaign among the Panamanian population.
KEY WORDS: Panama, Portobelo, Nombre de Dios, Transisthmian Roads, Fairs, Chagres, 16th-18th centuries.
RESUMÉ:
Cette étude consiste en une analyse du processus historique de configuration de l’isthme de Panama comme enclave indispensable pour le transit et le commerce de la production minière entre l’Amérique du Sud et la Péninsule Ibérique. L’accent est mis sur l’importance de la morphologie et sur la signification des chemins transismiques qui relient le Pacifique et l’Atlantique. A signaler de même que la conservation des voies en tant que patrimoine historique est actuellement déficiente, d’ù la nécessité d’un travail systématique de restauration matérielle et d’un travail de développement de la conscience civique de la population panaméenne, compte tenu de son importance.
MOTS CLÉS: Panama, Portobelo, Nombre de Dios, Chemins Transismiques, Foires, XVIème-XVIIIème siécle.
History Workshop Journal,, 2022
Written thirty-five years ago and published only recently, this work by the late Julius Scott (19... more Written thirty-five years ago and published only recently, this work by the late Julius Scott (1955–2021) is a classic in the historiography of the Atlantic world and a benchmark for historical studies ‘from below’, following in the footsteps of E. P. Thompson and George Rudé. The original text, Scott's doctoral thesis defended in 1986, had circulated in photocopies or as PDFs among students and researchers for years, but its publication as a monograph (2018 in English and 2021 in Spanish) inaugurates a new stage of this celebrated work. The Common Wind focuses on the stories of those who had no master in the era of the Haitian Revolution and explores their ability to overcome national and imperial borders, to build revolutionary messages and projects, to develop collective and individual strategies of resistance against physical and symbolic violence of colonial societies, to navigate towards freedom.
Bulletin of Spanish Studies: Hispanic Studies and Researches on Spain, Portugal and Latin America, 2019
Hispanic American Historical Review, 2019
Revista de Indias, 264, 2015
Iberoamericana. América Latina-España-Portugal. no. 52
Iberoamericana. América Latina-España-Portugal. no. 49 (2013), Mar 2013
Atlantic Studies, 2020
Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on th... more Taking the theme of “abolition” as its point of departure, this collection of essays builds on the significant growth in scholarship on unfree labour in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds during the past two decades. The essays revisit some of the persistent problems posed by the traditional comparative literature on slavery and indentured labour and identify new and exciting areas for future research.
Spain was the last country in the Atlantic World to tolerate the traffic in slaves across the Oce... more Spain was the last country in the Atlantic World to tolerate the traffic in slaves across the Ocean. For four centuries, millions of men, women and children were banished from their homelands and forced into a life of slavery in the Americas. Spanish abolitionist activists challenged this reality and contested the public legitimacy of the odious commerce. This thesis analyses how abolitionist ideas were shaped, transformed and developed in Spain’s empire and the crucial role that British activists and diplomats played in advancing the abolitionist cause. It explores the complexity of abolitionist and anti- abolitionist ideas in Spain’s public life from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the end of the Atlantic slave trade.
El articulo analiza el uso diferenciado de los terminos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en l... more El articulo analiza el uso diferenciado de los terminos: “negros”, “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en la prensa espanola liberal publicada en el exilio londinense entre 1818 y 1825. Ademas de un analisis semantico, se pretende responder a las implicaciones ideologicas y culturales derivadas de este uso distintivo y analizar el significado del concepto de esclavitud en el contexto del liberalismo politico espanol. Tras una categorizacion de los conceptos, se aborda el uso del termino “negros” en contraposicion al empleo retorico de los conceptos “esclavos” y “esclavitud” en el marco de la construccion de los discursos liberales de los siglos XVIII y XIX; y particularmente en la construccion de los primeros discursos antitratistas y antiesclavistas en Espana. Por ultimo, se presenta un analisis del empleo distintivo de los citados terminos en los dos periodicos mas relevantes de la prensa publicada por liberales espanoles exiliados en Londres: El Espanol Constitucional y Ocios de los Espano...
espanolEn este trabajo se analiza el proceso historico de configuracion del istmo de Panama, como... more espanolEn este trabajo se analiza el proceso historico de configuracion del istmo de Panama, como enclave imprescindible de paso e intercambio mercantil entre el ambito de produccion minero sudamericano y la Peninsula Iberica. Concentrandose en este punto en la morfologia y significacion de los caminos transistmicos que conectaban los oceanos Pacifico y Atlantico. Asimismo, se advierte que la conservacion de los caminos como patrimonio historico resulta en la actualidad deficiente, haciendose preciso un trabajo sistematico de rehabilitacion material de los mismos y una labor de concienciacion ciudadana acerca de su importancia que involucre a la poblacion panamena. EnglishThis paper analyses the historical process which describes the Isthmus of Panama becoming an essential route and trading post between mining areas of South America and the Iberian Peninsula. The work focuses on the morphology and significance of the transisthmian roads that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
Hispanic American Historical Review