Britain: Slavery Flashcards
When did the Quakers present a petition against the slave trade (which was followed by the creation of a committee)?
Presented to government June 1783 by their London Yearly Meeting
How many people signed the petition presented to government in June 1783 by the Quaker’s London Yearly Meeting?
273
In 1784, how many anti-slavery pamphlets did the Quakers sell?
10,000 copies
When was slavery abolished in Britain?
1772
When did Thomas Clarkson publish ‘Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species’?
1786
When was the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade founded?
1787
In 1796 a bill for the immediate abolition of the broader issue of slavery was very nearly passed. Why does historian Roger Antsey find this to be key?
He argues abolition was brought about due to a ‘moral crusade’.
This evidences supports this in the sense that it almost passed despite being a time where Britain would have been heavily profiting from the slave trade
When was the Zong case?
1783
What was Zong case?
A legal case whereby slave ship owners had ordered 133 slaves to be thrown overboard when food supplies were running low.
He wanted make an insurance claim for those who’d drowned but they refused
Legal case made about the insurance claim, and despite ruling against the ship owners, it was maintained that it was sometimes acceptable to kill slaves
What percentage of Britain’s annual income was dependant on the slave trade?
24%
How many MPs were estimated to be tied to the anti-abolitionist ‘West India Lobby’ group?
50
In 1792, how many pro-abolition petitions were signed?
519 that year alone
In 1787 in Manchester, what proportion of the town signed an abolition petition?
10,700 out of 50,000
Which MP presented a bill in favour of abolition every year between 1791 and 1799?
William Wilberforce
When were the violent Haitian slave revolts?
1791
What year was Wilberforce able to gain parliamentary support for his abolition bill?
1804/1806
Which historian presents the ‘Decline Thesis’ to explain slave trade abolition?
Eric Williams
What is Eric Williams’ ‘Decline Thesis’?
A economic argument to explain the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. Basically states that it was becoming unprofitable for those engaged with it
What does Eric Williams think about the humanitarian argument?
Not convinced
V. selective, and if truly motivated by humanitarianism, would have included other ‘crimes’ such as mine working conditions or poverty of the working class
By the 1790s, where was the biggest slave trade port in the world?
Liverpool
In 1780s Bristol, what percentage of people’s income was estimated to be slave-based?
40%
Between what years did 87% of Britain’s textile output go abroad?
1784-1786
1805-1807
Between 1784 and 1786, and 1805 and 1807, what percentage of Britain’s textile output went abroad?
87%
By the end of the 1700s, what were the average yearly profits from the slave trade?
Nearly 3 million pounds
What was the average return on a single voyage? (excluding Liverpool)
20-50%
Liverpool - 100%
What proportion of voyages ended in slave revolt?
1 in 10
By 1776, how much money did Glasgow merchants’ American partners owe them?
More than £1.3 million
How much money were Liverpool’s city merchants estimated to have lost in the years 1772-1778?
£700,000