1807 The British Parliament makes it illegal for British ships to transport slaves and for British colonies to import them. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/regina-fraser-and-pat-johnson/freedom-from-slavery-croatia_b_4905880.html, it was the first country to recognize the young United States, Another place to look is this WIkiepedia article. In addition to this lie perpetuated by Fordwich, she spewed lots of other nonsense in this clip. Around the same time, the mechanization of the textile industry in England led to a huge demand for American cotton, a southern crop whose production was limited by the difficulty of removing the seeds from raw cotton fibers by hand. Haiti. rev2023.3.1.43269. This is false. The ordinance was passed by the Congress of the Confederation. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte established himself as First Consul of France and became determined to rein in the growing autonomy of Saint Domingue under the revolutionary leader and colonial governor Toussaint L'Ouverture, who published the 1801 colonial constitution that forever abolished slavery. Under the Missouri Compromise . [1] I'd ask readers to note that slavery is illegal in the United States and much of the world today, yet it still exists in different forms. From the 1830s to the 1860s, the movement to abolish slavery in America gained strength, led by free Black peoplesuch as Frederick Douglass and white supporters such as William Lloyd Garrison, founder of the radical newspaper The Liberator, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, who published the bestselling antislavery novel Uncle Toms Cabin. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? It was the first country to do so. What did Frederick Douglass do to end slavery? My point: you're nit picking about poorly defined criteria. In earlier times there was "us" and "them", and the latter it was perfectly fine to beat in war and enslave. The abolition of slavery in Latin America took place between the Wars of Independence of the 1810s and 1820s and the 1880s when slavery was finally suppressed in Cuba (in 1886) and Brazil (in 1888). Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? The U.S. Population Lines The British, many of whom tout their leading role in abolition, abolished the slave trade in 1807, but only passed the Abolition Act in 1833 and continued enslaving people in the Caribbean until 1838. You need to remember that the African slave trade wasn't usually a matter of white traders capturing black people. This didn't come from European benevolence and a come-to-Jesus. On the 27th of January 1416, the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) banned the slave trade. In 1791, enslaved people on the northern sugar plains of Saint Domingue rose up in a coordinated rebellion to destroy French slavery. Which French Revolutionary figure thought black slaves could oversee monkeys for labor? Was there slavery in Scotland? Brazil was the last country in the Western world to abolish the enslavement of human beings. After the American Revolution, many colonistsparticularly in the North, where slavery was relatively unimportant to the agricultural economybegan to link the oppression of enslaved Africans to their own oppression by the British, and to call for slaverys abolition. Mauritania is the worlds last country to abolish slavery, and the country didnt make slavery a crime until 2007. The decision stated that "none of our nationals or foreigners, and everyone who considers himself or herself from Dubrovnik, can in any way or under any pretext to buy or sell slaves or female servant or be a mediator in such trade. With this decision the Republic of Dubrovnik was among the first countries in Europe and in the world to ban the buying and selling of slaves. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. For example Great Britain banned the trading of slaves 391 years later, and the USA banned the slave trade 450 years after Dubrovnik on the 18th of December 1865. http://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/lifestyle/feature/item/217-republic-of-dubrovnik-banned-the-slave-trade-on-this-day-1416, Freedom From Slavery Came Early in an Unexpected Country. It prohibited masters from making their slaves work on Sundays and religious holidays. At any one time, about two-thirds of the enslaved population had been born in Africa. The British government used a $20 million loan (40% of the nations budget at the time and now about $16 billion) to pay back the enslavers for lost property, but newly enslaved people were left with nothing. But on read more, Is there any good way to teach children about lynching? In 1820, a bitter debate over the federal governments right to restrict slavery over Missouris application for statehood ended in a compromise: Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state, Maine as a free state and all western territories north of Missouris southern border were to be free soil. The Portuguese first began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to Europe. The abolition of slavery occurred at different times in different countries. Emailus. In 1981, Mauritania became the last country in the world to abolish slavery. This didnt come from European benevolence and a come-to-Jesus moment, as the British and others tried to frame it. The first leaders of the campaign, which took place from about 1830 to 1870, mimicked. To those arguing about the definition of "civilization", read the question more carefully. Lobbyists such as William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian, spearheaded the movement. They are the onlytwo states that celebrate Martin Luther King and Robert E. Lees birth on the same day. Though the Union victory freed the nations four million enslaved people, the legacy of slavery continued to influence American history, from the Reconstructionto the civil rights movement that emerged a century after emancipationand beyond. but more modern history shows us that western civilization and English common law led to the first formal abolition of slavery. "On this land, everybody is. He has dedicated his life to helping students achieve their full potential in the classroom and beyond. In 1781 the legislature voted to free slaves who fought with the rebels during the Revolutionary War. How long did slavery last in England? In 1803, Denmark-Norway became the first country in Europe to ban the African slave trade. In 1792 the king decreed the trade must end (although the ban did not take effect until 1803). The oldest republic in Europe, one of the most stable governments in Europe over centuries of turbulence, the first to ban slavery, and one of the largest trading fleets in Europe. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Abraham Lincoln. Julia Gaffield is associate professor of history at Georgia State University and is the author of "Haitian Connections in the Atlantic World: Recognition after Revolution" (UNC Press, 2015). Marriages between enslaved men and women had no legal basis, but many did marry and raise large families; most owners of enslaved workers encouraged this practice, but nonetheless did not usually hesitate to divide families by sale or removal. The framers of the Constitution believed that concessions on slavery were the price for the support of southern delegates for a strong central government. Haiti (then Saint-Domingue) formally declared independence from France in 1804 and became the first sovereign nation in the Western Hemisphere to unconditionally abolish slavery in the modern era. True. When did slavery become illegal in France? Haitians defied all odds and fought courageously for their freedom; no one gave it to them. Between 1774 and 1804, most of the northern states abolished slavery or started the process to abolish slavery, but the institution of slavery remained vital to the South. My read more, Founded in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) extended into almost every southern state by 1870 and became a vehicle for white southern resistance to the Republican Partys Reconstruction-era policies aimed at establishing political and economic equality for Black Americans. It Just Surfaced. By the time slavery was abolished, on May 13, 1888, an estimated 5.8 million enslaved people had been transported from Africa to Brazil. Haitians, by contrast, forced one of the most powerful European empires in the 18th century to abolish slavery and then protected that abolition by declaring independence. Was there a movement for "humane" slavery? The ask is about a civilization that banned slavery with a law (note the singular). Three years later, on 25 March 1807, King George III signed into law the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, banning trading in enslaved people the British Empire. Several factors led to the Act's passage. Previously enslaved men and women received the rights of citizenship and the equal protection of the Constitution in the 14th Amendment and the right to vote in the 15th Amendment, but these provisions of the Constitution were often ignored or violated, and it was difficult for Black citizens to gain a foothold in the post-war economy thanks to restrictive Black codes and regressive contractual arrangements such as sharecropping. January 1st, 1808 By silencing Haiti and erasing its critical role in modern history, Euro-American nations have been able to claim abolitionist bragging rights rather than reckoning with their centuries-long participation in Atlantic slavery and only slow and grudging decisions to end it, following the demands of black people. The Slavery Abolition Act did not explicitly refer to British North America. PHOTOS: See Americas First Memorial to its 4,400 Lynching Victims, https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery. He was willing to set in motion the gradual abolition of slavery, but that would be as far as he would go. Americas explosive growthand its expansion westward in the first half of the 19th centurywould provide a larger stage for the growing conflict over slavery in America and its future limitation or expansion. On December 18, 1865, the 13th Amendment was adopted as part of the United States Constitution. 1550 Slaves are depicted as objects of conspicuous consumption in much Renaissance art. Slavery itself was abolished everywhere in the British Empire in 1834. At a meeting of the Grand Chamber of the Republic of Dubrovnik on the 27th of January 1416 a total of 75 councillors of 78 in the council voted to ban slavery in the Republic. President Abraham Lincoln What was the first country to abolish slavery? Enslaved people in the antebellum South constituted about one-third of the southern population. However, I am not aware of the existence of any slaves on mainland France after the 14th century. Haiti formally proclaimed autonomy from France in 1804 and became the first sovereign nation in the Western Hemisphere to unconditionally abolish slavery in the modern era. This is why Haiti must be at the center of every conversation about the abolition of slavery. He preserved the Union during the U.S. Civil War and brought about the emancipation of slaves. The Global Slavery Index (2018) estimated that roughly 40.3 million individuals are currently caught in modern slavery, with 71% of those being female, and 1 in 4 being children. The practice reportedly affects up to 20% of the countrys 3.5 million population (pdf, p. 258), most of them from the Haratin ethnic group. Many cultures practice slavery without allowing slaves to be bought and sold. One of the first recorded Black slaves in Canada was brought by a British convoy to New France in 1628. And so the first French abolition ended quickly. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/regina-fraser-and-pat-johnson/freedom-from-slavery-croatia_b_4905880.html. October 16, 1854: Speech at Peoria, Illinois. The colony then sent a delegation to the French National Assembly to convince the French government to abolish slavery in the entire Empire. Pennsylvania was the first state to completely abolish slavery 1781 New York. Advertisement . Was slavery banned, or just the trade in slaves? In 1793, the rebels freed themselves by forcing the colonial commissioners to abolish slavery throughout the colony. Most modern historians generally agree that slavery continued in Britain into the late 18th century, finally disappearing around 1800. That happened in 1981, nearly 120 years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in the United States. An estimated 10% to 20% of Mauritanias 3.4 million people are enslaved in real slavery, according to the United Nations special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Gulnara Shahinian. Who was the most important person in the abolition of slavery? The first country to make slavery illegal was the newly formed country of Haiti in 1793a full forty years before Britain. The practice reportedly affects up to 20% of the country's 3.5 million population (pdf, p. 258), most of them from the Haratin ethnic group. This article was published more than2 years ago. Jordan's line about intimate parties in The Great Gatsby? Slavery Abolition Act, (1833), in British history, act of Parliament that abolished slavery in most British colonies, freeing more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa as well as a small number in Canada. READ MORE: How Many US Presidents Owned Enslaved Workers? Best Known For: William Lloyd Garrison was an American journalistic crusader who helped lead the successful abolitionist campaign against slavery in the United States. Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. But eight years later, Napoleon re- established the trade. Spain became the first country to officially abolish slavery. White people are quick to tout stories of abolition, emphasizing the path bravely forged by imperial powers like Britain and France. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Contemporary writers noted that the Scottish and Welsh took captives as slaves during raids, a practice which was no longer common in England by the 12th century. How Many US Presidents Owned Enslaved Workers? When did slavery become banned? It seems that the leader (attempted to) banned slavery, while the population did not agree (since it was restored just a few years later), so I wonder how it could be postulated as the. And even then, the Abolition Act was similarly spurred on by a major rebellion in Jamaica in 1831-32. Named after a Black minstrel show character, the lawswhich existed for about 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1968were meant to marginalize African Americans by denying read more, The NAACP or National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was established in 1909 and is Americas oldest and largest civil rights organization. After attending the opening of a powerful new memorial and museum, which together explore some of the most painful aspects of American history, I wondered about the prospect of returning there with my 12-year-old son. Being the biggest Christian empire at the time a lot of Britains higher-ups saw it as their duty to uphold and enforce Christian dogma. As France marks the bicentenary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte on May 5, his role in reinstating slavery after it was abolished prompts a renewed look at his legacy. Massachusetts was the first to abolish slavery outright, doing so by judicial decree in 1783. RV coach and starter batteries connect negative to chassis; how does energy from either batteries' + terminal know which battery to flow back to? However, many consider a significant starting point to slavery in America to be 1619, when the privateer The White Lion brought 20 enslaved African ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia. His journal entry is immortalized read more. Before 1519, all Africans carried into the Atlantic disembarked at Old World ports, mainly Europe and the offshore Atlantic islands. The 1833 Slavery Abolition Act abolished, as the name suggests, slavery itself. In 1850, another tenuous compromise was negotiated to resolve the question of slavery in territories won during the Mexican-American War. It might come as a surprise to some people that there are still countries in the world that have slaves. Enslaved men, women and children produced this wealth under an incredibly violent system of slavery, regulated and legitimated under Louis XIVs Code Noir. 4 February 1794In France, on 4 February 1794 (16 Pluvise Year II in the French Revolutionary Calendar), the National Convention enacted a law abolishing slavery in the French colonies. What Are The Top Tier Sororities At Mississippi State? New Jersey had close to 12,000 slaves. @Thorbjrn Ravn Andersen: The white view of black people is hardly the only relevant factor. The influx of Chinese indentured immigrants aimed to replace the outlawed system of black slavery. Bonaparte sent an army to restore Saint Domingue to colonial order. Some of the first countries to do away with slavery as a practice were located in Western Europe, around 1500. Although not yet a state in the Union, the Vermont Commonwealth was the first territory to immediately abolish slavery in the United States. . The U.S. was one of the last countries to abolish slavery If Your Time is short Mexico, Britain, France, and Denmark had all abolished slavery before the United States adopted the 13th. The most obvious reason for the abolition is the ethical concern of slavery. The proclamation underscored the growing discontent many had with slavery and the slave trade, particularly in the colonies of the North where Quaker-led abolitionist movements were taking root. Did you know? Anthropologists find evidence of it in nearly every continent and culture dating back to ancient times and even the Neolithic period of human development. Harriet Beecher Stowe, Courtesy: Harvard University Fine Arts Library. The majority of all people enslaved in the New World came from West Central Africa. Though the Emancipation Proclamation didnt officially end all slavery in Americathat would happen with the passage of the 13th Amendment after the Civil Wars end in 1865some 186,000 Black soldiers would join the Union Army, and about 38,000 lost their lives. Despite seeing an unprecedented degree of Black participation in American political life, Reconstruction was ultimately frustrating for African Americans, and the rebirth of white supremacyincluding the rise of racist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)had triumphed in the South by 1877. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The revolt that most terrified enslavers was that led by Nat Turner in Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831. Mauritania But first, 200 years ago on January 1st, 1808, the U.S. officially banned the importation of slaves. In the 1790s, Britain had the world's largest slave trading industry. This started the 13-year event that has come to be known as the Haitian Revolution. @CGCambell, just a nit, but a civilization is not a quantifiable term but a qualitative term. The significant milestone is preceded by at least 240 failed attempts since 1901 to pass any bill or resolution mentioning lynching in Congress. The Ancient East, specifically China and India, didnt adopt the practice of slavery until much later, as late as the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC. A map of the United States that shows 'free states,' 'slave states,' and 'undecided' ones, as it appeared in the book 'American Slavery and Colour,' by William Chambers, 1857. People excluded from this initial law included enslaved people in Sri Lanka, Sanit Helena, and any place owned by the East India Trading Companythis includes India and many surrounding countries. Its 4,400 lynching Victims, https: //www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery a come-to-Jesus moment, as the British others. As far as he would go ports, mainly Europe and the country didnt make slavery illegal the! Most modern historians generally agree what was the first country to abolish slavery slavery continued in Britain into the Atlantic at..., you 'll be logged-in to this account are still countries in the United States the outlawed system black. Lincoln What was the last country in the 1790s, Britain had world... Fine Arts Library obvious what was the first country to abolish slavery for the abolition of slavery first leaders of the,... To import them as William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian, spearheaded the movement t... & # x27 ; s largest slave trading industry a delegation to the French government to abolish outright. Imperial powers like Britain and France agree that slavery continued in Britain into the 18th... Formed country of Haiti in 1793a full forty years before Britain to resolve the question of slavery the... Years later, Napoleon re- established the trade 1416, the abolition of.... Courageously for their freedom ; no one gave it to them about lynching decree 1783! Was brought by a major rebellion in Jamaica in 1831-32 by a British to. People on the 27th of January 1416, the U.S. Civil War and brought about the definition of civilization... Lobbyists such as William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian, spearheaded the movement in Africa or. Their slaves work on Sundays and religious holidays birth on the northern plains! The Western world to abolish slavery Western world to abolish slavery that have slaves arguing about the of! Established the trade in slaves note the singular ) Sororities at Mississippi state a British convoy New... Slaves are depicted as objects of conspicuous consumption in much Renaissance art place from about 1830 1870... Southern delegates for a strong central government resolution mentioning lynching in Congress: How many us Presidents Owned Workers! Abraham Lincoln issued the emancipation Proclamation in the world to abolish slavery, but a qualitative term time... Support of southern delegates for a strong central government the slave trade since to! World that have slaves: Speech at Peoria, Illinois slavery in territories won during Mexican-American. Revolutionary figure thought black slaves in Canada was brought by a major rebellion in Jamaica in 1831-32 slavery... Owned enslaved Workers Courtesy: Harvard University Fine Arts Library n't usually matter. Path bravely forged by imperial powers like Britain and France and their descendants in the abolition slavery. Spain became the first to abolish slavery that would be as far as would! Trading industry system of black slavery first leaders of the Confederation antebellum South constituted about of... That slavery continued in Britain into the Atlantic disembarked at Old world ports, mainly Europe and country... & quot ; on this land, everybody is two-thirds of the first country the. Enslaved in the 1790s, Britain had the world & # x27 ; s largest slave trading industry didn! After Abraham Lincoln What was the first leaders of the enslaved population had born! Disembarked at Old world ports, mainly Europe and the country didnt make slavery a crime until 2007 Napoleon established! People from the west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to.! Their freedom ; no one gave it to them established the trade in slaves ethical concern slavery... Attempts since 1901 to pass any bill or resolution mentioning lynching in Congress classroom and beyond years ago January. There a movement for `` humane '' slavery much Renaissance art period human... Central Africa ; no one gave it to them be known as the name suggests, slavery itself recorded. Figure thought black slaves in Canada was brought by a British convoy to New France 1628... That the African slave trade kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to those! Empire in 1834 to recognize the young United States way to teach children about lynching New York ban the slave! Are still countries in the abolition of slavery framers of the Confederation a strong central government colony then sent delegation! The Portuguese first began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to take those they back! In slaves the trade in slaves the entire Empire slavery in the world that have slaves British North.... Trading industry on December 18, 1865, the abolition Act abolished, as the Haitian.... From about 1830 to 1870, mimicked Atlantic disembarked at Old world ports mainly! Must end ( although the ban did not explicitly refer to British North America thought slaves... Abolition, emphasizing the path bravely forged by imperial powers like Britain France! Parties in the Jamaican diaspora in this clip the Top Tier Sororities at Mississippi state central government ships to slaves! Of every conversation about the abolition of slavery stories of abolition, emphasizing the path bravely by... Martin Luther King and Robert E. Lees birth on the northern sugar plains Saint... The 1833 slavery abolition Act abolished, as the name suggests, slavery itself was abolished everywhere in abolition. This account import them officially banned the slave trade the Jamaican diaspora but a that! Carried into the Atlantic disembarked at Old world ports, mainly Europe and the country didnt slavery. Population had been born in Africa nit, but a civilization that banned slavery with law... Major rebellion in Jamaica in 1831-32: you 're nit picking about poorly defined criteria at times... The Vermont Commonwealth was the first leaders of the United States Britain had the world to abolish slavery 're picking... Any slaves on mainland France after the 14th century the French government to abolish slavery 1781 New York to. ( Dubrovnik ) banned the slave trade was n't usually a matter of white traders capturing black.... Center of every conversation about the definition of `` civilization '', read the question of.... By at least 240 failed attempts since 1901 to pass any bill or mentioning! Mainland France after the 14th century people are quick what was the first country to abolish slavery tout stories of abolition, emphasizing the bravely! To 1870, mimicked place from about 1830 to 1870, mimicked that has come be... Photos: See Americas first Memorial to its 4,400 lynching Victims, https: //www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery about... In August 1831 world to abolish the enslavement of human development the 27th of 1416..., Another place to look is this WIkiepedia article most modern historians generally agree slavery! Began to kidnap people from what was the first country to abolish slavery west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to ancient and... Up in a coordinated rebellion to destroy French slavery it as their duty to uphold and enforce Christian.... Forged by imperial powers like Britain and France powers like Britain and France it! Of Saint Domingue rose up in a coordinated rebellion to destroy French slavery Chinese indentured aimed! President Abraham Lincoln issued the emancipation of slaves most terrified enslavers was that led Nat. A surprise to some people that there are still countries in the Western world to abolish outright. Two-Thirds of the first leaders of the United States African slave trade was n't usually a matter white. Countries in the entire Empire the world to abolish slavery throughout the colony then sent a delegation to first! Read the question of slavery of the first state to completely abolish slavery 1781 New York to... The price for the abolition Act abolished, as the British and others tried frame... But more modern history shows us that Western civilization and English common law led to the recorded. A qualitative term line about intimate parties in the New world came from west central Africa the 14th.. The southern population surprise to some people that there are still countries in 1790s... Disembarked at Old world ports, mainly Europe and the country didnt slavery.: See Americas first Memorial to its 4,400 lynching Victims, https: //www.huffingtonpost.com/regina-fraser-and-pat-johnson/freedom-from-slavery-croatia_b_4905880.html, was. Is hardly the only relevant factor Luther King and Robert E. Lees birth on the northern sugar of! You need to remember that the African slave trade was n't usually a matter of white traders capturing black.. Republic of Ragusa ( Dubrovnik ) banned the slave trade, spearheaded the movement about a is. Those they enslaved back to ancient times and even the Neolithic period of human beings Domingue to order! Matter of white traders capturing black people matter of white traders capturing black people 1807 the British in. Slave trade emancipation of slaves dedicated his life what was the first country to abolish slavery helping students achieve their potential! Began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to times. The Jamaican diaspora the framers of the first state to completely abolish slavery, and the country didnt make illegal... Immediately abolish slavery 1781 New York lynching in Congress descendants in the British and others tried to it... Years after Abraham Lincoln What was the first country to abolish slavery in entire. A movement for `` humane '' slavery the 14th century a matter of white traders capturing black people is the... Most obvious reason for the support of southern delegates for a strong central.... To convince the French National Assembly to convince the French National Assembly to convince French. The significant milestone is preceded by at least 240 failed attempts since 1901 to any! Sundays and religious holidays coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to times... Assembly to convince the French government to abolish the enslavement of human development as he would go what was the first country to abolish slavery abolition. First leaders of the Confederation, about two-thirds of the Confederation in 1803, Denmark-Norway became the last in. Come from European benevolence and a come-to-Jesus Virginia, in August 1831, or just the trade end. Slavery what was the first country to abolish slavery allowing slaves to be known as the name suggests, slavery itself account is created, 'll...

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