Colonial Conquest as it Introduces Wage Labor

A contribution by Peter Limb to a dialog on AfrLabor list, March 1995

Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 00:26:33 -0500 (EST)
From: CBROWN@zodiac.rutgers.edu)
Reply-To: AFRLABOR@acuvax.acu.edu)
Subject: Colonial Conquest as it Introduces Wage Labor)
To: Afrlabor@Acuvax.acu.edu)
Message-ID: <01HNZN7TLI2U9JEX59@zodiac.rutgers.edu>

I am working on a manuscript (thesis revision) on the Enugu Coal Miners in Nigeria 1914-50. The second chapter is on the period from 1914 to 1920 and includes a discussion of the conquest (1910 in this area of eastern Nigeria -Igboland). UKsually the conquest is discussed (at least in West African literature) as an event of largely political import. I want to look at it and the period immediately following (which I would argue is a time of reconstruction see Jeff Guy's "Destruction and REcon- struction of Zululand" in Marks and Trapido's Industrialization and Social Change in Southern Africa) in terms of the creation of a labor market. I would like to incorporate missionary efforts as part of the ideological framework consonant with the capitalist labor market. What I am interested in is the following: Has anyone done an analysis of such colonial labor laws as Masters and Servants Acts, Collective Punishments Acts, etc. in terms of their role in creating a labor force? I would appreciate any leads perhaps in the British literature (for Masters' and Servants Acts)

From: Peter Limb <plimb@uniwa.uwa.edu.au>
Reply-To: AFRLABOR@acuvax.acu.edu
Message-ID: <199503150107.JAA29419@uniwa.uwa.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Colonial Conquest as it Introduces Wage Labor
To: AFRLABOR@acuvax.acu.edu
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 09:07:52 +0800 (WST)
In-Reply-To: <01HNZN7TLI2U9JEX59@zodiac.rutgers.ed> from "CBROWN@zodiac.rutgers.edu" at Mar 11, 95 00:26:33 am

As an addendum to my posting yesterday, also of some relevance are:

P. Delius and S. Trapido, "Inboekselings and Oorlams: the creation and transformation of a servile class," in B. Bozzoli (ed.), Town and countryside, pp. 53-88.

V.C. Malherbe, "Indentures and unfree labour in SA: Towards an understanding" South African Historical Journal, v. 24 1991 pp. 3-30.

A fascinating little article about the little-known labour protest of khoi workers is, E. Bradlow, "The Khoi and the proposed vagrancy legislation of 1834" Quart. Bull. of the South African Library, v. 39 1985, pp. 99-106.

Peter Limb, Reid Library, University of Western Australia
email: plimb@uniwa.uwa.edu.au
fax: (09) 3801012
phone (09) 3802347