Immanuel Pupils experience slavery shortly before Pesach

The guillotine: not what you’d expect to come across in an exhibition devoted to the Atlantic slave trade. But for Year 9, the History study day at the National Maritime Museum was an experience that challenged expectations. The guillotine in question was a large size replica of an original used to execute criminals, including runaway slaves, in the Carribbean. The slave trade itself was a French and British export, and students were able to see ample evidence of connections between the slave trade and the power struggle between Hannoverian Britain and absolutist France. The abolitionist movement was represented by artefacts including silk scarves and handkerchiefs.

For students who had seen 18th century political messages printed on teapots, this reinforced their sense of how information could be shared and opinions formed before the advent of electronic communication and mass travel. Replica crockery from the period showed the abolitionist message, and handling replica leg irons gave a sense of immediacy to the suffering of the Middle Passage. From facsimile documents we saw how slaves were given European names and were itemised as stock. After this sobering experience the charms of the gift shop restored our spirits, concluding an instructive and enjoyable day.