“You don’t think gangpressing men onto ships isn’t akin to forcing Africans onto ships?”
It’s akin to being “shanghaied”, a term I suspect you know since you are well read. But it doesn’t imply slavery. Slavery is the ownership of human beings. And impressed or shanghaied sailors aren’t owned by anyone.
Moreover gangpressing is something that England did to its own people, and had done for centuries, long before they were involved in slaving.
“The British practice of manning naval ships with “pressed” men, who were forcibly placed into service, was a common one in English history, dating back to medieval times.
“Under British law, the navy had the right, during time of war, to sweep through the streets of Great Britain, essentially arresting men and placing them in the Royal Navy.”
“Legally, foreigners were protected from the press, but this legality was often ignored, and the practice of pressing men at sea became common. In the eyes of the Royal Navy, all Englishmen were available for service even if they were on the ship of a foreign nation. Therefore, it was not uncommon for British naval vessels to stop American ships searching for English crewmen. During these searches, American sailors who could not prove their citizenship were often pressed.”
https://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/micro/usnavy/08/08a.htm
I guess it depends on what the meaning of slavery is. I happen to think taking away people’s free choice to where they can work or live is slavery. Your quotes do not deter me from my opinion. If today, you found that Barbra Streisand was forcing Mexicans off the street of Los Angeles to work at Versailles...er, I mean her extensive estate at Malibu, without a means of escape, you wouldn’t call that slavery? I would. (She’s done no such thing.) In fact, here on the east coast, we’ve had examples of rich middle-eastern emigres enslaving their hired servants from the Philippines and being arrested and prosecuted for it. So, I guess it is all in the definition.
You know I love you Pelham, even if we disagree on this one!!!