The Crisis of the Sugar Colonies

Written as four public letters, this book condemns the intention by the French to reinstate older slavery practices on its colonies in the West Indies. James Stephen (1758–1832) was a lawyer who, after moving to St Kitts with his family to earn a living, became a supporter of the abolition movement. On his return to London in 1794, Stephen became involved with the anti-slavery group, the Clapham Sect, whose members included William Wilberforce, and with whom Stephen developed a lifelong friendship. Elected as a Member of Parliament in 1808, Stephen contributed to drafting legislation for slave registration on the island of Trinidad, which became a model for other slave colonies. Stephen believed that the reinstatement of older slavery practices on French colonies in the West Indies would lead to slave revolts, and have significant consequences for the neighbouring British colonies. This work was published in London in 1802.