The Guardian's founding family linked to Atlantic slave trade in new review
A scholarly review commissioned by the Scott Trust determined that the newspaper's founder and nine of his eleven backers had links to the Atlantic slave trade.
The Guardian’s 2023 academic review has revealed that John Edward Taylor, the paper’s 1821 founder, and nine of his eleven backers had links to the Atlantic slave trade through their interests in Manchester's textile industry. The finding, commissioned by the Scott Trust that owns the newspaper, adds a new layer to debates over how historic wealth built on slavery underpins today’s media institutions.
From mill‑owners to liberal voice
The Manchester Guardian was founded in Manchester in 1821 by cotton merchant John Edward Taylor with backing from the Little Circle, a group of non-conformist businessmen. They launched the paper, on 5 May 1821 after the police closure of the more radical Manchester Observer, a paper that had championed the cause of the Peterloo massacre protesters. Taylor had been hostile to the radical reformers, writing: "They have appealed not to the reason but the passions and the suffering of their abused and credulous fellow-countrymen, from whose ill-requited industry they extort for themselves the means of a plentiful and comfortable existence. They do not toil, neither do they spin, but they live better than those that do."
Media additions
"They have appealed not to the reason but the passions and the suffering of their abused and credulous fellow‑countrymen, from whose ill‑requited industry they extort for themselves the means of a plentiful and comfortable existence. They do not toil, neither do they spin, but they live better than those that do."
John Edward Taylor
Despite this origin, the paper’s early editorials took a strong stance against slavery. In 1823 a leading article on the continuing "cruelty and injustice" to slaves in the West Indies long after the abolition of the slave trade with the Slave Trade Act 1807 wanted fairness to the interests and claims both of the planters and of their oppressed slaves. It welcomed the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 and accepted the "increased compensation" to the planters as the "guilt of slavery attaches far more to the nation" rather than individuals.
During the American Civil War, the Manchester Guardian’s coverage was ambivalent. It had supported other independence movements and felt it should also support the rights of the Confederacy to self-determination. It suggested that the United States should compensate slave-owners for freeing slaves.
The 2023 scholarly review
In March 2023, an academic review commissioned by the Scott Trust determined that John Edward Taylor and nine of his eleven backers had links to the Atlantic slave trade through their interests in Manchester's textile industry.
Historical paradoxes examined
- 1823: Calls for fairness to both planters and enslaved peoples.
- 1833: Supports the Slavery Abolition Act, while accepting compensation to slave‑owners.
- 1856: Advises the United States to compensate slave‑owners for emancipation.
- 1860‑1862: Offers a nuanced view of the American Civil War, balancing criticism of the Union’s policies with support for Southern self‑determination.
Timeline of key moments
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 5 May 1821 | Manchester Guardian launched by John Edward Taylor and the Little Circle. |
| 1823 | Leading article denounces cruelty of slavery in the West Indies. |
| 1833 | Paper welcomes Slavery Abolition Act, noting national guilt. |
| 1856 | Editorial suggests compensating US slave‑owners for emancipation. |
| 1860‑1862 | Mixed coverage of the American Civil War and Southern self‑determination. |
| 24 August 1959 | Manchester Guardian renamed The Guardian. |
| March 2023 | Scott Trust‑commissioned academic review links founder and nine backers to Atlantic slave trade. |
