Introduction
In 1861-65, America went to bloody civil war over (among other things) the issue of slavery in the South’s cotton and sugar plantations, and upwards of a million people died. A few years earlier, Scotsman David Livingstone proposed a far less destructive answer: establish cotton and sugar farms in Africa, employ local labourers on good wages, and strangle slavery by the cords of the free market.
WE now demand increased supplies of cotton and sugar, and then reprobate the means our American brethren adopt to supply our wants. We claim a right to speak about this evil, and also to act in reference to its removal, the more especially because we are of one blood. It is on the Anglo-American race that the hopes of the world for liberty and progress rest.
Now it is very grievous to find one portion of this race practising the gigantic evil, and the other aiding, by increased demands for the produce of slave labour, in perpetuating the enormous wrong. In Africa the land is cheap, the soil good, and free labour is to be found on the spot. Our chief hopes rest with the natives themselves; and if the point to which I have given prominence, of healthy inland commercial stations, be realized, where all the produce raised may be collected, there is little doubt but that slavery among our kinsmen across the Atlantic will, in the course of some years, cease to assume the form of a necessity to even the slaveholders themselves.*
Abridged
Slavery does not actually confer an economic advantage – businesses or countries that rely on it cannot compete with a lightly regulated, lightly taxed free market. Well-paid employees, with plenty of leisure, work more efficiently than slaves, already possess a basic education, and have an incentive to acquire skills and experience; they take care of their own families, health, retirement, and domestic life as much as possible; and they do not need to be bought, transported or guarded night and day. Free men, moreover, have wage-money in their hands which they spend on goods and services of their choice, expanding a market in which a variety of businesses thrives. See The Economic Case for Generous Wages and The Economic Case for Time Off by Adam Smith; and see How Liberating the Slaves also Clothed the Poor by Charles Dickens.
Précis
Writing shortly before the American Civil War, Scottish explorer David Livingstone urged Britain to stifle the slave-worked plantations of the Southern States by establishing cotton and sugar farms in Africa as direct competition. By employing local labourers at market rates and exporting their produce to Britain, they would soon force American growers to abandon slavery. (55 / 60 words)
Writing shortly before the American Civil War, Scottish explorer David Livingstone urged Britain to stifle the slave-worked plantations of the Southern States by establishing cotton and sugar farms in Africa as direct competition. By employing local labourers at market rates and exporting their produce to Britain, they would soon force American growers to abandon slavery.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, despite, if, just, may, otherwise, whether, who.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Doubt. Found. Portion.
2 Adopt. Claim. Prominence.
3 Across. Free. Realize.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Produce. 2 Demand. 3 Station. 4 Soil. 5 Form. 6 Increase. 7 Spot. 8 Act. 9 Rest.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
dmns (5+2)
damns. demeans. demons. domains. dominoes.
daemons. demonise.
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