The Birth of the Abolitionist Movement in 19th-century Romania, under the Influence of French Revolutionary Discourse

Authors

Mihai Scobotovici, Brigham Young University
Dr. Anca Sprenger, Brigham Young University

Keywords

abolitionist movement, 19th century Romania, French revolutionary discourse

College

Humanities

Department

French and Italian

Abstract

Fragmented into multiple vassal principalities, Romanians had no country of their own until the 20^th century. In the 19^th century, French revolutionary ideas catalyzed Romanians’ aspirations for political unity and independence, producing the Revolution of 1848 in the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. Unfortunately, the revolution’s nationalist characteristic has long overshadowed another significant revolutionary goal, namely the abolition of slavery. My study aimed to shed light on Romanian abolitionism by understanding to what extent it was a direct echo of French revolutionary discourse. Thanks to its diaspora of young intellectuals educated and living in France, 19^th-century Romania was under noteworthy French influence. Thus, I explored the roots of Romanian abolitionism as it materialized at the peak of French influence in Romanian art, culture, literature, and politics. Until mid-19^th century, in both Moldavia and Wallachia, private individuals, the state, and even the Christian Orthodox Church owned Gypsy¹ slaves. By 1856, Moldavia and Wallachia had emancipated their entire slave populations.

Recommended Citation

Scobotovici, Mihai and Sprenger, Dr. Anca (2016) "The Birth of the Abolitionist Movement in 19th-century Romania, under the Influence of French Revolutionary Discourse," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2016: Iss. 1, Article 129.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2016/iss1/129