EMANCIPATION IN ICA, the Manumission of Slaves in Relation to the several Declarations of Independence. In Haiti, where African slavery was first intro duced into America, the negroes received as a gift 'the full liberty, equality, and fraternity) of the French republic in 1794, and by fighting established their independence in 1804. In Cen tral America (when Guatemala, Salvador, Hon duras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica were united in the Central American republic), the laws of 31 Dec. 1823 and 17 and 24 April 1824 emanci pated all slaves, and made.free, slaves of other countries coming to Central America. The slave trade was prohibited, under penalty of forfeiture of the rights of citizenship. H. H. Bancroft, in his 'History of the Pacific States,' says "Of all the nations of North America, to the Central American republic belongs the honor of having first practically abolished slav ery.* We shall presently show, however, that this distinction fairly belongs to Mexico. Ecuador, which made its first effort to gain independence at Quito, 10 Aug. 1809, and act ually- threw off the yoke of Spain on 9 Oct. 1820, abolished slavery during the presidential term of General U..rvina, 1852-56. The Argen tine nation began its struggle for independence 25 May 1810, and at the Congress of Tucuman, 9 July 1816, the formal separation from Spain was declared. Article XV of the constitution of 25 Sept. 1860 provides that athere shall be no slaves in the Argentine nation. Those few who now exist in it shall become free at the very moment this constitution goes into effect. The indemnification which the declaration may involve shall be provided for by special law. Any contract involving the purchase or sale of a person shall be held to be a criminal offense. . . . Slaves introduced in any way what ever into the country shall become free by virtue of the fact that they have trodden the soil of the republic." In Colombia (New Granada) the number of negroes was never very great; it was estimated at 80,000 in the middle of the 19th century. The struggle for independence, beginning 20 July 1810, or as a vigorous insurrection in 1811, was continued after the union with Venezuela (December 1819), and the republic of New Granada was formed in 11331. In 1821 a law was passed by the republic of Colombia for the gradual manu mission of slaves, and all born after that date were declared free at the age of 18,— that gradual process applying, of course, to all the territory of the Greater Colombia at the time of the law's enactment. (See COLOMBIA, Hisu tory). A law of 1851 abolished slavery entirely in New Granada, by giving liberty to all who remained slaves on 1 Jan. 1852, provision being made for the payment of indemnity to the owners. The beginning of the war for inde pendence in Mexico dates from 16 Sept. 1810 pee DOLORES, EL GRITO DE) ; 0I1 6 Nov. 1813 the rst Mexican Congress, installed in the town of Chilpancingo, issued the declaration of inde pendence and decreed the emancipation of slaves. This,. therefore, was the starting point
of emancipation on the mainland of America. Venezuela's declaration of independence (5 July 1811) was followed after 10 years by the law for the gradual manumission of slave.s which we have mentioned above, that is, the law of the Greater Colombia of 1821. Para guayan independence should be dated from 11 June 1811, when an assembly of deputies began its sessions; for the resolution passed by this assembly, renouncing allegiance to Spain, was ratified as a declaration of independence by the Paraguayan Congress of 1 Oct. 1813. The ques tion of African slavery was comparatively unimportant in Paraguay. °In 1865 there were negroes and mulattoes at Emboscada, Tabapy, and Aregui; but the negroes have now almost completely disappeared" ((Handbook of Para guay,' September 1902, issued, by International Bureau of the American Republics). Chile entered upon a contest with Spain on 18 Sept. 1810, and the independence of the country was proclaimed 12 Feb. 1818. The negro problem did not weigh upon that country, the popula tion being recruited from Europe quite largely. The independence of Peru was declared at Lima 28 July 1821; that of the Dominican' republic 1 Dec. 1821; that of Brazil 7 Sept. 1822; and Bolivia became an independent republic 6 Aug. 1825. In Brazil the conservative states man, Silva Paranhos, obtained from the Parlia ment the passage of a bill (28 Sept. 1871) for the gradual extinction of slavery, which pro vided that thereafter every child born of a slave mother should be free, and created a special fund for emancipation by redemption. Private philanthropy, largely directed by the Masonic lodges, effected more than the fund created for this purpose; and the number of slaves began to decrease. A bill for the immediate and un conditional abolition of slavery in Brazil was signed by Princess Regent Isabel 13 May 1888; the monarchy was overthrol,vn 15 Nov. 1889; the new constitution approved 24 Feb. 1891. In Cuba the slaves were emancipated on the conclusion of the Ten Years' War, that is, in 1878, and Cuba became a republic 20 May 1902. The experiences of the French, Danish and British possessions may be referred to briefly in conclusion. Napoleon restored slavery in French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe, although his efforts to accomplish the same re sult in Haiti were, as mentioned above, frus trated by the resistance of the blacks them selves. The freedom of all who were held in bondage throughout the French dominions was declared in 1848. Slavery in the Danish West Indies (Saint Thomas, etc.) was abolished also in 1848. The act to abolish slavery throughout the Britiih colonies, providing f.20,000,000 for compensation of the owners, was dated 28 Aug. 1833, and its effect was to free 770,280 slaves on 1 Aug. 1834, the number thus emanci pated in Jamaica being 309,000.