How the West Abolished Slavery

-Tom Woods

The abolition of slavery was one of the greatest achievements of Western civilization; one might also call it the crowning glory of the tradition of thought known as classical liberalism. [...]

When we consider the significance of the abolition of slavery, a ubiquitous and seemingly entrenched institution, it’s surprising how little many of us know about how it actually happened. Jim Powell shares the story with us!

Issues Discussed

• Why the abolition of slavery was so peaceful in Britain
• The three essential precursors to the abolition of slavery in Britain
• Why it would have been better, in Powell’s words, to “let the [American] South go”
• The abolition of slavery in Haiti and Brazil
• Why peaceful strategies against slavery yielded better long-run outcomes
• Jim’s current project, a vast historical study of how the free society came about

About the Guest

Jim Powell is a senior fellow of the Cato Institute and the author of numerous books, including FDR’s Folly, Wilson’s War, and Bully Boy: The Truth About Theodore Roosevelt’s Legacy.

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