Philanthropic racism in Britain: The Liverpool university settlement, the anti‐slavery society and the issue of ‘half‐caste’ children, 1919–51

Abstract

The history of racial ideology in Britain has focused mainly on extreme groups of the political right. Less attention has been paid to more ‘respectable’ forms of racism. This paper attempts to redress the balance. It concentrates upon two groups, the Anti‐Salvery Society and the Settlement Movement and, with particular reference to Liverpool and Cardiff between 1919 and 1951, examines their attitudes towards Britain's ‘half‐caste’ population.