L’indemnité coloniale de 1849 : Mise en place à répartition en Martinique et en Guadeloupe

Abstract

When the French government abolished slavery in 1848, it also awarded financial compensation to former slave owners in the colonies. The law of April 30, 1849 and its implementation by the order of November 24, 1849 distributed 126 million francs among a diverse group of individuals. An analysis of the demographic make up of this group undermines the notion that slave owners were necessarily male and “White.” Using a comprehensive and digitized list of individuals who received compensation in Martinique and Guadeloupe, which contains nearly 6,000 names, this article assesses the involvement of women and free people of colour who owned enslaved people in 1848.