Evening Lectures: Slavery and the Scottish Enlightenment

The new ideas and values that emerged from Scotland between the mid-eighteenth and mid-nineteenth century were shaped by the moral dilemmas of the day. As such, the story of the Scottish Enlightenment is intertwined with that of slavery and the slave trade.

John D. O. Fulton explores this nuanced and conflicting relationship via the compelling life stories of an extraordinary cast of characters—from Jamaican plantation owners to America’s original private eye, Glaswegian merchants to London revolutionaries, escaped American slaves to indomitable female crusaders fighting for America’s soul. They lived in a period of seismic historical events, legal reforms and moral shifts, with slavery at the centre. From a Scottish perspective, Slavery and the Scottish Enlightenment gives a rich, diverse and dramatic account of this momentous period, while examining its relevance to our society today.

John D O Fulton is an Edinburgh born lawyer and author. During a forty year career in property and trust law, he developed an international client base through regular visits to Hong Kong, Singapore and China over twenty three years. His widely praised first book, 66- the House that viewed the World, was published in 2019. John is an active member of The Royal Scots Club.

Our Abercromby Dining Room opens early on Lecture nights. Book your dinner at 5:30pm and make a night of it - call 0131 525 6160 to book your table now!

Host or Publisher Royal Scots Club