Britain Booklet 1

Question 1

What were Quakers?

Answer 1

Quakers were a religious group that tried to ban slavery

Question 2

How did the Quakers try to ban slavery?

Answer 2

In June 1783, Quakers presented a petition against the slave trade signed by 273 people, they then set up a 23 person committee

In July 1783, a second Quaker committee was set up which sent a dozen newspapers highlighting the evils of slavery to educate the public

In 1784, 10,000 copies of their pamphlet ‘The case of our fellow creatures’, was distributed amongst MPs, the royal family and the general public

The Quakers received support from former slaves, including Equiano and 8 Africans presented them with an address of thanks

Question 3

What was the Zong Case?

Answer 3

In 1781, the Zong, captained by Luke Collingwood sailed to Jamaica with 440 slaves, the journey took twice as long due to calm winds

Three months into the journey, more than 60 slaves were already dead and they were insured at £30 a head, and if they died due to ‘perils of the sea’ insurance covered the loss to the captain

In total, 133 slaves were thrown overboard and the captain made the insurance claim but it was disputed so it was taken to trial

One of the crewmates admitted there was 420 gallons of water spare on board so there was no reason for the slaves to be jettisoned

Granville Sharp gathered evidence and tried to prosecute the crew for murder

At the second trial, Lord Mansfield declared that this was not a murder case, it was ‘just as if horses were killed’

Question 4

What was the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade?

Answer 4

The Society is integral in the humanitarian and morality based arguments about the end of the slave trade, they were unrivalled as a lobby group from its creation in 1787 and tireless in its campaigning. It was made up of many social reformers from numerous religious backgrounds, they aimed to raise awareness amongst the public and apply political pressure to the government by raising petitions and bills in the House of Commons

Question 5

In Manchester in 1787, how many people had signed an abolition petition?

Answer 5

10,700

Question 6

How much of Britain’s income depended on the slave trade?

Answer 6

24%

Question 7

How many MPs were closely linked with the West India Lobby by the 1790s?

Answer 7

50

Question 8

How many slave voyages took place during the 18th century?

Answer 8

35,000

Question 9

Which port by the 1790s was the biggest slave-trading port in England and claimed 3/7 of European trade?

Answer 9

Liverpool

Question 10

In Bristol in the 1780s, how much of Bristol’s income was slave based?

Answer 10

40%

Question 11

How much of Britain’s textile output went abroad in 1784-86 and 1805-07?

Answer 11

87%

Question 12

What funded the All Souls College at Oxford?

Answer 12

Profits from a slave plantation in Barbados

Question 13

How much profit did the Codrington plantation make and from how much land and with how many slaves?

Answer 13

£2000 a year on 710 acres of land with 276 slaves

Question 14

How many slave voyages did William Davenport invest in and how much profit did he make during the 18th century?

Answer 14

74 slave voyages and 8.1% profit

Question 15

How much did William Davenport’s profits increase to during the American War of Independence

Answer 15

In just two voyages, one netted 73.5% profit while the other netted 147% profit

Question 16

How many hogsheads of sugar was Britain importing by the mid 1700s

Answer 16

100,000 (63 gallon casks)

Question 17

How much would it cost to fit out a slave ship, and how much profit could one bring?

Answer 17

£370,000 to fit out the ship and £450,000 revenue each time

Question 18

How long did each journey take?

Answer 18

Around 13 weeks

Question 19

How many ships had revolts on them?

Answer 19

1 in 10

Question 20

Which country was allegedly threatening Britain’s Slave trade?

Answer 20

France

Question 21

What did Thomas Clarkson do?

Answer 21

Collected Evidence to support the abolition of the slave trade

Interviewed 20,000 sailors to gather evidence

Campaigned around the country travelling 35,000 miles

Went to France and also campaigned for the abolition of the slave trade there

Helped found the Society for Abolition of the Slave Trade

Question 22

What did William Wilberforce do?

Answer 22

Led the parliamentary campaign

Regularly introduced bills to abolish or limit the slave trade

Continued to go against slavery despite the setbacks

Founded the Society for Gradual Abolition

Question 23

What did Olaudah Equiano do?

Answer 23

Was a prominent figure in the campaign to end the slave trade

Taken at 11 and sold to a Royal Navy officer

Was sold twice but bought his freedom in 1766

In 1783 he informed Granville Sharp about the fraud and told him about the Zong massacre

Became one of 8 delegates to Africans in America to present an address of thanks

Bought his freedom for £40

Question 24

What did Mary Prince do?

Answer 24

Even after slavery was banned in Britain, it was still in the West Indies, so she went to London and the Anti-Slavery Society, and despite having rheumatism and being sold 3 times herself, she still fought for abolition

Question 25

What did Alexander Falconbridge do?

Answer 25

In 1787 he published a pamphlet called ‘A Summary View of the Slave Trade’ and of the probable consequences of it’s abolition. He also gave evidence to a privy council and underwent four days of questions at the house of commons

Question 26

Why was the loss of America significant for the British slave trade?

Answer 26

In 1776, approximately 20% of the population of the 13 colonies was of African descent, so this was a huge loss of a market for Britain

Question 27

What was the Dolben Act of 1788

Answer 27

The Dolben Act restricted the number of slave allowed on a ship, this was renewed each year with improvements until it was made permanent with the Slave Regulation Act of 1799

Question 28

How were the actions of Napoleon significant?

Answer 28

The French had banned Slavery in 1794, however Napoleon reintroduced it in 1802 in the French colonies and this made the British reconsider their position on slavery further

Question 29

Who’s support did William Wilberforce gain in 1806?

Answer 29

The prime minister William Pitt and his successor William Grenville

Question 30

When was Slavery abolished?

Answer 30

1807

Question 31

When were Thomas Paine and Thomas Hardy put on trial?

Answer 31

The Treason Trials of 1793 and 1794

Question 32

What happened in the Slave Riots in Saint Domingue (1791)?

Answer 32

1000 plantations burned, 12,000 people killed

Saint Domingue was the crown jewel of the French Slave trade and was twice the size of the largest British colony

Saint Domingue produced 30% of the world’s sugar and half of the world’s coffee

Saint Domingue’s annual production of sugar and other crops was double that of all British Caribbean islands

In September 1793, the British came and took it for themselves and landed soldiers on the island

Question 33

What happened in the Slave Riots in Grenada (1795)?

Answer 33

In 1795 Rebelling Slaves and mulattos captured the Island’s governor and massacred whites, destroyed most of the plantations and help the bulk of the island for months

Question 34

What happened in the Slave Riots in St. Lucia (1795)?

Answer 34

In 1795, slaves rose up led by Victor Hugues and forced out every white slave owner and the British Army had to be sent to crush the rebellion

It took 12,000 British troops to retake the Island against 2,000 slaves in 1803

Question 35

What happened in the Slave Riots in Jamaica (1795)?

Answer 35

The revolt was led by a community of free blacks known as Maroons

Approximately 500 Maroons rebelled with just 150 muskets, against 5000 British troops and Jamaican Militia

Fighting lasted around half a year and cost the British £500,000

In December 1795 a surrender was agreed and 569 Maroons were deported to Nova Scotia

Question 36

In the 1780s how many slave ships left Britain?

Answer 36

Over 1000

Question 37

Between 1784-1786 and 1805-1807, what percentage of British textiles were sold for the slave trade?

Answer 37

87%

Question 38

How much money was made by the slave trade per year by the end of the 1700s?

Answer 38

3 million

Question 39

Between 1793-1801, how many British soldiers died in the Caribbean?

Answer 39

45,000

Question 40

In the 18th century, how many slave voyages took place?

Answer 40

35,000