There are no slaves in France!

The history of slavery and France is one that is not often told. The slave trade produced the prosperity and conspicuous wealth to many of the French seaport cities like Bordeaux, Nantes or La Rochelle, and populated France’s colonies across the Atlantic.

This ‘untold’ story dates back to the reign of Louis XIII who authorized slavery in the colonies. Under Louis XIV the infamous Code Noir was promulgated, making France the first European country that issued legislation on slavery. Today, France has started to address this past. Memorials and museums have begun to emerge with a mission to remember that past.

Our talk aims to revive the forgotten narrative and accompany it with objects, artifacts, paintings of the time that illustrate the history of slavery in France.