Adrian Clarke, BA History

E.D. Morel - the formidable Human Rights Activist

I have discovered within West Yorkshire Archive copies of private correspondence
sent by E.D.Morel to Earl Grey, the Foreign Secretary over the period 1906 to 1908
urging him to take firmer action against the enslavement and forced labour regime in
Congo Free State which was then under personal rule of King Leopald II. These letters
were within the collection of the Arthington Trust which heavily funded missionary
work in Africa and across the world; the very fact that Morel shared this private
correspondence with the trust is interesting as it evidences the close
interconnections between Morel, missionaries and their wealthy backers. Morel was a
determined campaigner who waged a public campaign to force the British government
to take a stand on the Congo. My research will look at (i) how mass opinion had bearing
on foreign policy, particularly global human rights, in early 1900s; (ii) the methods
used by campaigners behind the scenes to influence decision-makers, gain financial
backing and develop a network of contacts to support them to achieve their goals; (iii)
any new evidence of Morel's close relations with Arthington Trustees, missionaries or
the Leeds community in general as part of his humanitarian mission.