The struggle to end slavery: a glossary |
| annuities | income or payment paid yearly |
| anodyne | soothing, relieving pain |
| avarice | greed |
| barbarism | uncivilized state, not cultivated |
| beneficial | good, favourable |
| calamitous | disastrous |
| capital | money |
| cessation | bringing or coming to an end |
| concerted | joint effort |
| condoned | overlooked or accepted |
| cross trade | in this case, the trade between the West Indies and British America, and vice versa |
| cultivation | growing or farming or land |
| cupidity | excessive desire, normally for wealth |
| decrepitude | weakened, worn out |
| deprecate | excessive disapproval, deplore |
| devoid | completely lacking |
| diffuses | to spread out freely |
| disaffection | to lose affection or loyalty |
| dishonour | disgrace, shame |
| dissenters | normally someone who refuses to accept the doctrines of the Church of England |
| execrated | hated |
| impious | lacking respect, irreverent |
| incentive | something that causes action – could be fear or hope of a reward |
| lamentable | inspiring regret |
| meted | given out, distributed |
| mortification | feeling of shame or humiliation |
| partakers | take part in, share |
| pillage | take goods by force |
| pocket borough/ rotten borough | a parliamentary seat that was under the control of a single person or family. They were abolished by the Reform Act of 1832. |
| procured | obtained or acquired |
| prodigal | extravagant waste |
| promulgated | announce officially |
| rapine | plunder |
| rendered | given or made available |
| sectarian | relating to one group, often holding extreme or bigoted views |
| solicitude | concern |
| stripes | marks from being whipped |
| unascertained | not sure, not certain |
| violation | breaking the law, non-observance |
| wrought | in this case, worked them up into state of rebellion |
| zealots | people who are fanatically committed |
