Rev. John Duke, a Barbadian Minister and Slaveowner, defends Slavery, 1788

 In 1788, Rev. John Duke, a Barbadian Anglican minister, published Two Letters on the Treatment of Negroes, in the Island of Barbadoes, addressing Rev. Thomas Lyttleton in London. This work arose amidst increasing abolitionist sentiment in Britain, reflecting Duke's effort to defend the treatment of enslaved people in Barbados. His letters, particularly notable due to the rarity of published colonial clergy defenses of slavery, aimed to counter the criticisms leveled by figures such as James Ramsay. Duke’s writing underscored his belief in the supposed humanity with which enslaved individuals were treated in Barbados, promoting the idea that religious instruction and colonial oversight fostered a more "civilized" existence compared to Africa​.