Abolition of the Slave Trade, 1785-1807 Flashcards
How long was the ‘middle passage’ voyage, and how many slaves per ship
The voyage took 3-4 months
Slaves were packed in shelves under a metre high, up to more than 600 per ship
How many slaves died during a typical trip
12.5% of slaves died on the journey
4.5% died a day before sale
How much profit could be expected per voyage
20 - 50% profit for a successful voyage
How did Manchester benefit from slavery
1/2 of textiles in Manchester went to Africa, and 1/2 to the West Indies
When did the Quakers first start opposing slavery
1657, on the grounds that everyone was equal before God
What actions did the Quakers take in 1783
June 1783, the Quakers presented a petition against the slave trade signed by 273 people and set up a 23 person committee to actively campaign for abolition. This petition was ignored by all in parliament
July 1783, a second Quaker committee was established which sent articles to dozen of newspapers highlighting the evils of slavery to educate the public and publishing pamphlets
In 1784, 10,000 copies of which pamphlet was distributed by the Quakers
‘The Case of our fellow-creatures, the oppressed Africans, respectfully recommended to the serious consideration of the legislature of Great Britain by the people called Quakers’
This was distributed amongst MPs, the royal family, and the general public
What did Evangelical Christians believe in
Believed in the power of repentance as a means of salvation, the importance of fighting sin to go to heaven
What happened in the Zong case, 1783
The Zong, under captain Luke Collingwood, had 440 slaves due for Jamaica but the trip took twice as long due to winds
60 slaves already dead from disease. Collingwood had the sickest thrown overboard and told the crew to claim ‘water was running out’
133 slaves were thrown overboard.
What happened at the trial of the Zong case
It was an insurance dispute, as slaves were insured at £30 a head
First mate admitted there was 420 gallons spare water on board
Granville Sharp gathered evidence against the crew and tried to prosecute them for murder, but failed
At second trial, Lord Mansfield declared it was “just as if horses were killed”.
Insurers did not pay out
Which society was formed in 1787 to campaign for abolition, and what did it do
The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Members included Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp
Aimed to raise awareness amongst the public and apply political pressure to the government by raising petitions and bills in the House of Commons
How many petitions were signed to abolish slavery in 1792
519
What was the population of Manchester in 1793, and how many signed an abolition petition
50,000 people
10,700 signatures
What percentage of Britain’s income was dependent on the slave trade and its associated industries
24%
Which groups defended the slave trade
The ‘West India Lobby’ was a group of sugar planters whose business depended on the slave trade
They had close links with MPs, and by the 1790s, there were approximately 50 MPs closely linked to the group, with one becoming Mayor of London
What percentage of Britain’s textile output went abroad
Between 1784-86 and 1805-1807, 87% of all textiles went abroad, with African markets taking the majority of produce
This is as traders would load their ships with British goods and swap them for slaves on the African coast
Who did Britain primarily trade with during wars with France from 1793-1815
Africa
How did Bristol and Liverpool benefit from slavery
Bristol and Liverpool became major trade ports
In Bristol, 40% of peoples incomes was slave-based
In Liverpool grew from 5,000 to 78,000 people in the 18th century
Liverpool had also claimed 3/7 of all European trade
How much sugar was imported per year, and how valuable was it
63 gallon casks of sugar per year (100,000 hogsheads)
How many slave voyages took place in the 18th century
35,000
How much did the Codrington plantation in Barbados make
The Codrington plantation made a profit of £2000 a year with 276 slaves across 710 acres of land
How much did Liverpool merchant William Davenport make from slavery
Davenport invested in 74 voyages in the 18th century with an overall profit of 8.1%.
Between 1779-1780, whilst the American War of Independence was taking place, he netted 73.5% and 147% profit in just 2 voyages
How valuable were the Caribbean islands in the slave trade
British imports from Jamaica were 5x more valuable than imports from the 13 mainland colonies (now the USA)
British imports from the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada were worth 8x that of imports from Canada (now Canada)
How many plantations went bankrupt in Jamaica between 1799 and 1807
65 plantations were abandoned, 32 sold for debts, and in 1807 suits were pending against 115 others
How much sugar was in England in 1806
A surplus in England amounting to 6,000 tons
This surplus saw only 2.5% profit for plantations in 1807
Who was Adam Smith, what did we write, and what did he argue
Adam Smith was the first formal Economist in History
He wrote ‘The Wealth of Nations’ in 1776
In the book, at one point he argues that slavery is ineffective for economic growth as unpaid labourers could not spend elsewhere in the economy, pointing to the Roman Empire as an example of this
He was an abolitionist also on moral grounds
What did Thomas Clarkson do for abolition
Worked on the grounds of moral outrage, such as visual aids with the slave ship ‘Brookes’
Wrote an essay entitled “Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species”
Travelled 35,000 miles around the country
What happened to Clarkson due to his hard work
Suffered a physical breakdown from overworking, campaigning, and spending such a considerable portion of his personal wealth
What did William Wilberforce do for abolition
While Clarkson gathered evidence and mobilised support, Wilberforce would lobby parliament
Gave a speech of 3 1/2 hours, using evidence of the effects of the slave trade on Africa, as well as the gruelling conditions
Set up a committee in the commons to look into the slave trade. By the time the house adjourned, slaving interest were still testifying
Introduced a bill to parliament every year from 1791-1799 in favour of abolition
What did Wilberforce do after abolition in 1807
Set up the Sierra Company to help relocate slaves
Died in 1833, shortly after all slaves under the British Empire were freed under the Slavery Abolition Act
What did Olaudah Equiano do for abolition
Sold to a royal Navy officer, he bought his own freedom for £40
Educated, could read and write
1786, member of the Sons of Africa - 12 black men who campaigned for abolition
Published an autobiography in 1789
How did Equiano influence parliament
Part of a delegation to parliament in 1788, which helped lead to the Dolben Act
What was the Dolben Act, and how was it reformed
The Dolben Act of 1788 restricted the number of slaves per ship
This was renewed every year until 1799 when it was made permanent with the Slave Regulation Act
When did the French first abolish slavery
In 1794, slavery in France was abolished
Napoleon reintroduced the slave trade in the French colonies in 1802
What percentage of the population of the 13 Colonies was of African descent
20%
Which former Prime Ministers supported Wilberforce in 1806 and why
William Pitt gave his support in 1806, as did his successor William Grenville
This may be due to how abolition could be seen as a patriotic duty to oppose the French (based)
Why couldn’t Wilberforce get much support for his bill from 1794 to 1802
The French abolition of slavery made British abolitionists tarnished with the brush of revolutionary’s, which worried the ruling classes
How did the abolition movement falter under government crackdown
Seditious Meetings Act of 1795 (which was part of the Two Acts)
Treason trials of 1793 and 1794 when Thomas Paine and Thomas Hardy were put on trial for their opposition to government policy (Paine fled in 1792)
How much did the French colony of Saint Domingue produce
30% of the world’s sugar and 1/2 of the world’s coffee
Annual production of sugar and other crops was double that of all the British Caribbean islands put together
What happened in Saint Domingue in the August of 1791
Slaves attacked plantation buildings, committing many atrocities
More than 1,000 plantations burned and 12,000 people killed
The French were muddled as their stated goals of revolution contradicted their stance on slavery
How did the British respond to the uprising in Saint Domingue
September 1793, British soldiers land on the island to halt the rebellion and conquer it for themselves
They came up against Toussaint L’Ouverture, a slave who has begun leading the slaves on the island
French planters vowed to aid Britain, but the battle was lost. The colony would now work with the Jacobins in France
What happened on Grenada in 1795
On Grenada, 1795, rebel blacks and mulattos (offspring of slaves and whites) captured the islands governor, massacred whites, destroyed most plantations and held the bulk of the island for months
What happened in St. Lucia in February, 1795
In February 1795, slaves rose up in St. Lucia led by Victor Hugues and over the next 4 months, forced out every white slave owner and the British army who had been sent to crush the rebellion
How did the British respond to the slave revolt in St. Lucia
It took 12,000 British troops to retake the island against just 2,000 slaves in 1803
What happened on St. Vincent from 1795 to 1797
Second Carib War.
The Caribs were the indigenous peoples of the island, backed by slaves and some French Forces
Following much fighting and appalling tropical disease, a military expedition by General Abercromby managed to crush the revolt in 1797
Caribs were deported to the island of Roatan, off the coast of Honduras
Which group led the revolt in Jamaica in 1795
Started from a free black community called the Maroons, who revolted when British soldiers seized and handcuffed six Maroon leaders
One such leader was Leonard Parkinson, who the British posted bounties for
As a result of the arrests, the Maroons ambushed and killed 36 British cavalrymen
Approximately 500 Maroons rebelled, with just 150 muskets, against 5000 British troops and the Jamaican militia
How did the fighting in Jamaica in 1795 go
Fighting lasted for half the year, and the British spent £500,000 (in addition to numerous casualties)
In December 1795, a surrender was agreed upon and, contrary to the agreement between the Maroons and General Walpole, 569 Maroons were deported to Nova Scotia
What were the overall human costs for the British in suppressing the West Indian revolts
Britain sent more soldiers to the West Indian campaigns than to supress the North American revolution
Of the 89,000 white officer and enlisted men who served in the British Army in the Caribbean from 1793-1801, over 45,000 died in battle or from disease
14,000 were discharged due to wounds or illness and 3,000 men deserted
In addition, amongst sailors, approximately 19,000 died on British naval or transport ships
How did Naval ‘press gangs’ remind people of slavery
Press gangs took people, typically against their will, and force them to join the Navy
1/2 of all Royal Navy seamen were pressed into service
How did the postal service help publicise abolition
Was very fast, London to Dublin mail in 3 days
Services picked up mailbags without stopping
A record of 10 mph
How did Geography help publicise abolition
London to Edinburgh was 230 hours in 1754. by 1792, only 75 hours
Better roads for transport, such as turnpikes
7,796 tollgates
Overall transport was far faster and thus news of abolition could spread faster as well
How did newspapers help publicise abolition
By mid 1780’s, there were dozens of newspapers
Located in London, thusly could influence Parliament
Reprinted articles
Published fund appeals
Reported on abolitionist meetings and petitions
How did coffeehouses and libraries aid abolition
Workers went to coffeehouses to read the news, with more and more literature being distributed here
71,000 bookstores
No true restrictions on criticisation of the government
Debating Societies grew rapidly, in 1778 London had 5, but by 1780 there were 35
How did Liverpool adapt following abolition in 1807
Shifting from slave made goods such as cotton, sugar, and tobacco towards cosmopolitan and mercantile operations, built upon human trade and commerce
What proportion of the population signed at least one anti-slavery petition
1.5 million out of 12 million signed at least once
Why didn’t William Pitt fully lend government support
Might alienate the King, perhaps antagonising him.
If Pitt defied him, the King could call an unwinnable election
