Comerciar con la sangre de nuestros hermanos : Early Abolitionist Discourses in Spain's Empire

The proposal of A gustín de A rgüelles to abolish the slave trade in 1811 was crucial in defining a new ideological stance within the S panish political debate by adopting the moral condemnation elaborated by the B ritish abolitionist movement. His initiative was the result of a coordinated strategy with the B ritish authorities and was key in the construction of early abolitionist discourses in S pain. This article explores the political, ideological and diplomatic influence of B ritain in the development of early anti‐slavery and anti‐slave trade discourses in S pain and the centrality of A rgüelles' proposal.