Britain - Abolition of the slave trade Flashcards
What are the two factors in the Humanitarian argument?
Society for effecting the abolition of the slave trade and The role of individuals (Wilberforce, Clarkson, Equiano etc)
What are the two factors in the economic argument?
The decline thesis and economic considerations.
What are the other factors?
Revolts, effects of the American war of independence and Napolean and the war with France.
When was the society for effecting the abolition of the slave trade created?
1787
What did the society for the effecting of the abolition of the slave trade do? (Give 4 examples)
1796 bill for the immediate abolition of the slave trade, was very nearly passed.
Brought light to the Zong case in 1783. Where 2 years earlier 133 slaves had been thrown overboard for insurance purposes.
They had propaganda - the Josiah Wedgewood ‘Am i not a man and a brother’ medallion.
Showed the slave ship diagram ‘Brookes’ which shows 482 slaves but it carried anywhere between 609 and 740.
What did William Wilberforce do? (Give 4 examples)
Persistently introduced annual abolition bills to parliament after 1791 and in 1789 he made his first speech.
After 1791 he presented a bill every parliamentary session until 1799.
He encouraged gradual abolition and raised the profile of it.
He was able to secure a select committee to investigate.
What did Clarkson do? (Give 4 examples)
Wrote an essay on slavery which inspired Wilberforce. - this had 10,000 copies printed.
Between 1787 to 1794 he travelled more than 35,000 miles giving public speeches.
Helped to found 1200 branches of the society.
In 1790 he visited 317 ships and spoke to more than 3000 sailors.
(He eventually lost popularity as he went to France to try and achieve abolition there and the British were still tense after the war)
What did the decline thesis state?
The decline thesis is critical of the humanitarians, it suggests that the slave system was only challenged because it was unprofitable, therefore abolition was motivated by the decline. Seymour drescher criticises this saying lack of profit played some role but it was not the only motive.
What economic considerations are there?
35,000 slave voyages took place between the 16th-19th centuries.
40% of peoples income in Bristol was slave based in the 1780s.
There was a profit of 3mill a year by the end of the 1700s.
It cost #3153 to fit out a ship in 1753.
Liverpool merchants lost 700,000pounds.
The Dolben act in 1788 improved conditions on ships which meant they were more costly.
What revolts were there?
St Domingue 1791 - 1000 plantation burned 12000 killed.
St Lucia 1803 - it took 12000 british troops to take it back from 2000 slaves.
Jamaica - 1795 - 500 Maroons rebelled against 5000 british troops and Jamaican militia, fighting lasted half the year and the british spent 500,000pounds to deal with it.
What happened in the American war of independence and how does it relate to the abolition of the slave trade?
Happened in 1783. Britain lost a colony that had been vital to the British empire and where many slaves had been traded. American revolutionaries had notions of equality which meant there was a change in attitude by the British people.
What happened with Napolean and the war with france and how does this relate to the abolition of the slave trade?
Napolean reintroduced slavery in 1802 and this meant it had now become a symbol of patriotic duty for the British to abolish it. However, abolition could be seen as revolutionary, which worried the British government.
When was the slave trade abolished?
25th March, 1807
When was slavery abolished?
1833 under the slavery abolition act.
