Slavery and abolitionism± a Dutch history through intersectionally explored stories

Abstract

With this research, I aim to contribute to the Dutch history of slavery through analysing the stories of specific women in different positions. In order to do so I will first discuss theory regarding intersectionality and the deconstruction of dichotomies. Secondly, I will sketch a brief historical outline regarding slavery and Dutch involvement herein. Then I will focus in each chapter on a specific woman with a relation to slavery, namely Elizabeth Samson (1715-1771), Maria Susanna Du Plessis (1739-1795) and Petronella Moens (1762-1843). I will look at their lives with regards to intersecting axes of difference and its connections to their position in regards to slavery. Following which I will once again connect these personal histories to information provided in the mainstream discussions of both international and Dutch slave trade. In this way I will show how my analysis of the women’s stories add and complicate these mainstream discussions. I will thereby also reflect on how this legacy of slavery still influences present day societies. In conclusion I will reflect on the usage of intersectional theory for deconstructing dichotomies and ways of remembering histories in regards to slavery.