Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade PDF

The Transatlantic Trade of enslaved people Abolition of the trade of enslaved people Abolition of Slave Trade From the 1780s, a growing number of British people started to campaign for the abolition of the trade of enslaved people. They were known as abolitionists. One of the most importan...

The Transatlantic Trade of enslaved people Abolition of the trade of enslaved people Abolition of Slave Trade From the 1780s, a growing number of British people started to campaign for the abolition of the trade of enslaved people. They were known as abolitionists. One of the most important British abolitionists was an evangelical Christian called Thomas Clarkson. In 1787, Clarkson helped form the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. He hoped that by increasing awareness among the British people about the reality of slavery, the public would place enough pressure on Parliament to outlaw the trade. Thomas Clarkson Abolitionist campaign Clarkson led the abolitionist campaign with enormous energy. He claimed to have ridden 35000 miles in seven years, travelling the country to build support. He visited British ports and collected objects such as shackles, whips and branding irons to shock his audiences in public talks. In 1792, the Society organised for 519 petitions to be sent to Parliament asking for an end to the trade of enslaved people. Abolitionists also organised a boycott of sugar from the Caribbean, in which an estimated 300000 people took part. Abolitionists published a flood of books and the horrors of the trade of enslaved people in detail. The most powerful books were written by Olaudah Equiano. Olaudah Equiano Josiah Wedgewood Josiah Wedgewood, a wealthy industrialist, produced a distinctive badge for the society, to show their support for abolition. The motto on the badge emphasised one of the abolitionists' key arguments: that enslaved Africans should be treated like fellow human beings. It asked, "Am I not a man and a brother?“ Abolition of slavery and its effects Abolition gained widespread public support in Britain, but supporters of slavery fought back. Plantation owners argued that if Parliament outlawed slavery in British colonies, then British sugar exports would become too expensive compared with sugar produced by enslaved people in colonies such as Cuba or Brazil. Supporters of slavery argued that this would put British plantations out of business, leading Black people in British colonies to suffer even more than before. Josiah Wedgewood and his badge Political success The abolitionist cause gained important support in Parliament from another evangelical Christian, William Wilberforce. He repeatedly proposed new laws in Parliament to abolish the trade of enslaved people, but they struggled to gain support - especially in the House of Lords. In 1806, Britain gained a new Prime Minister called Lord Grenville, who strongly supported abolition. Grenville introduced a new Bill to Parliament in January 1807. On 24 February 1807, after a 10-hour debate in the House of Commons, the Slave Trade Act was passed by 283 votes to 16. However, this Act only outlawed the trade of enslaved people; abolitionists had to campaign for a further 26 years to achieve the outright abolition of slavery. William Wilberforce Prime Minister called Lord Grenville The British persuaded other nations to abolish the slavery Having become one of the first European nations to abolish the trade of enslaved people, the British government began a long campaign to persuade other nations to do the same. Britain encouraged European governments to sign international treaties, promising to stop the trade of enslaved people. These treaties were not always followed, so Britain sent a Royal Navy fleet named the West Africa Squadron to patrol the coast. Between 1807 and 1860, the Squadron intercepted more than 1500 ships carrying enslaved people, and freed 150000 enslaved Africans. West Africa Squadron Black Britons Colonists often returned to Britain with the enslaved people who worked for them, but it was generally understood that slavery was illegal in Britain. In 1772, a Virginia merchant living in London named Charles Stewart was tried for recapturing an enslaved person of African descent named James Somerset. Somerset had escaped Stewart's ownership, but Stewart tracked Somerset down and attempted to enslave him once again by putting him on a boat bound for Jamaica. The judge found in favour of James Somerset, and slavery was now understood to be illegal in Britain. James Somerset Sons of Africa By the late 1700s, there were an estimated 10000 Black people living in Britain as free citizens. They were mostly formerly enslaved people who had been freed, and they played a central role in the fight for abolition, forming a campaign group in 1787 named the 'Sons of Africa’. Black abolitionists such as Equiano shocked the public with their memoirs of enslaved life, but they also proved the intellectual worth of African people. It was commonly believed that Black people were by their nature 'savages and therefore suited to enslavement. Educated Black campaigners such as Equiano contradicted this view. Ignatius Sancho Another well-known Blak Briton was Ignatius Sancho, who was born on a ship during the Middle Passage but then taken to Britain as a two-year-old orphan. Sancho's employer, the Duke of Montagu, was impressed by his intellect and encouraged him to read and write. Sancho became a successful musician and playwright, and friends with some of the most famous actors, writers and artists of the period. Sancho is believed to be the first Black man to have participated in a British election, placing his vote in 1774. Ignatius Sancho Check your understanding 1. What roles did Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce play in the abolitionist movement? 2. What methods did abolitionists use to raise awareness about slavery? 3. How was the trade of enslaved people finally abolished in 1807? 4. Was slavery illegal in Britain during the 18th century? 5. What role did Black Britons play in the abolitionist movement?