DOC Double Character: Slavery and Mastery in the Antebellum Southern Courtroom (Studies in the Legal History of the South Ser.) by Ariela Gross in History

Description

At the turn of the twentieth century; Cadbury Bros. Ltd. was a successful; Quaker-owned chocolate manufacturer in Birmingham; England; celebrated for its model village; modern factory; and concern for employees. In 1901 the firm learned that its cocoa beans; purchased from Portuguese plantations on the island of São Tomé off West Africa; were produced by slave labor. Chocolate on Trial: Cadbury; Slavery and the Economics of Virtue in Imperial Britain gives a lively and highly readable account of the events surrounding the libel trial in which Cadbury Bros. Ltd. sued the London Standard; following the newspaper's accusation that the firm was hypocritical in its use of slave-grown cocoa. As compelling now as at the turn of the previous century; the issues probed by Lowell J. Satre give invaluable historical background to contemporary issues of business ethics; corporate social responsibility; and globalization. The story Satre tells illuminates what a stubbornly persistent institution slavery was and shows how Cadbury; a company with a well-regarded brand name and logo; endured ethical dilemmas and challenges to its record for social responsibility. Chocolate on Trial brings to life the age-old conflict between economic interests and the value of human life. Satre illuminates the stubborn persistence of the institution of slavery and shows how Cadbury; a company with a well-regarded brand name from the nineteenth century; faced ethical dilemmas and challenges to its record for social responsibility. Chocolate on Trial brings to life the age-old conflict between economic interests and regard for the dignity of human life.