Aborigines' Protection Society facts for kids

The Aborigines' Protection Society (APS) was an international group that worked for human rights. It started in 1837. Its main goal was to make sure that native (or indigenous) peoples were healthy, safe, and had their legal and religious rights protected. They also wanted to help these groups live well under the rule of colonial powers, especially the British Empire. In 1909, the APS joined with another group called the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (BFASS). Together, they formed the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines' Protection Society, which is now known as Anti-Slavery International.

The Society also published a journal. It had different names over time, like Aborigines' Friend, or Colonial Intelligencer. People often just called it Aborigines' Friend. This journal was published from 1855 until the merger in 1909.

How it Started

The ideas of the Quaker religious group and the movement to end slavery (called abolitionism) were very important in starting the Aborigines' Protection Society.

In 1835, a Member of Parliament named Thomas Fowell Buxton created a special committee. This committee was set up to study how white settlers affected native peoples and other issues in the colonies. Buxton was not a Quaker himself, but his sister-in-law was Elizabeth Fry, a famous Quaker reformer.

In 1837, a British doctor named Thomas Hodgkin helped set up "The Aborigines Committee" during a Quaker meeting. In 1838, some of the findings from Buxton's committee were published in a report.

Around the same time, the Aborigines' Protection Society (APS) was officially created. Its aim was "to ensure the health and well-being and the sovereign, legal and religious rights of the indigenous peoples while also promoting the civilization of the indigenous people who were subjected under colonial powers." Other early members brought knowledge from different parts of the world, like Australia, North America, and South Africa. Some of the important founders included Buxton, Hodgkin, William Allen, Henry Christy, Thomas Clarkson, and Joseph Sturge.

The APS published a report in 1838. It argued that colonization didn't have to harm native peoples or lead to their disappearance. If there were negative effects, it meant the colony's plans and rules were not good enough.

What They Did

The Aborigines' Protection Society was active for about 70 years. They worked in many places, including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, South Africa, and the Congo. Their motto was Ab Uno Sanguine, which means "Of One Blood." This came from a Bible verse (Acts 17:26).

The Society focused on getting equal rights for native peoples. They wanted laws that treated everyone the same, no matter their race. They believed in "racial amalgamation," meaning different races could live together fairly. However, they didn't focus on keeping the traditional cultures of native peoples exactly as they were.

In 1840, the Society reported on how native peoples were treated in Upper Canada.

Early on, Buxton and Hodgkin had different ideas about how the Society should work. Hodgkin wanted a place for scientific discussions about different cultures (ethnology) and also for lobbying to protect native peoples. Buxton became very involved in an expedition to the Niger River in 1841. Its failure was a big setback for him.

In 1842, the APS restated its purpose: "to record the history, and promote the advancement, of Uncivilized Tribes."

After Buxton died in 1845, Samuel Gurney became the President. The Society's money situation improved. From 1847, Hodgkin had an assistant named Louis Alexis Chamerovzow. Chamerovzow wrote about the rights of the Māori in 1848. He also tried to influence famous writers like Charles Dickens to support their cause, and he had some success. He was good at understanding the challenges of balancing the interests of native people and settlers.

The APS also worked on other important cases. These included:

• A case in 1850 where a black man in the Cape Colony was accused of stealing and punished by torture.
• Protesting the use of bonded labour (forced work) for black children in the Transvaal Republic in 1880.
• Later, they continued to protest the unfair treatment of native South Africans before the Second Boer War (1899–1902). They said this unfair treatment often happened under the false idea of charity or Christianity.

In 1870, the APS bought Lennox Island (Prince Edward Island) to help a community of the Mi'kmaq people.

Merger

The Society continued its work until 1909. In that year, it joined with the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. Together, they formed a new group called the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines' Protection Society. Today, this organization is known as Anti-Slavery International.

See Also

• Aborigines' Rights Protection Society
• Henry Fox Bourne