History
Furcy
A major figure in the memory of slavery in Réunion, known for a long struggle to have his freedom recognised.
Biography
Furcy is a major figure in the memory of slavery in Réunion. Born on Bourbon (Réunion's former name) around 1786, he fought a long legal battle to have his freedom recognised, on the grounds that his mother had been born in Pondicherry, a French colony where slavery was banned. His case, begun in 1817, lasted twenty-six years: the Cour de cassation (France's highest appeal court) overturned the Bourbon ruling in 1835, then the Cour royale de Paris declared him “born free” on 23 December 1843. His story is an exceptional example of individual legal resistance to the slave system.
Contribution
A long legal battle to have his freedom recognised, concluded in 1843 before the Cour de cassation.
Sources (1)
- https://www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr/documentaires/memoire-de-l-esclavage/memoires/lieux-de-memoire/
