Empire Topic 1 - Pax Britannica - Slave Trade Flashcards
When was Somerset vs Steward?
1772
What was Somerset vs Steward?
- James Somserset, a slave in Britain, ran from his master’s home and was later captured and would face trial.
- Defence exposed fact that while colonial law permitted slavery, neither common law of England nor any statutory law made by parliament recognised existence of Slavery.
- Somserset won case and set free.
- Decision immediately led to rise in anti-slavery activism in Britain and was a catalyst to the end of slave practices in Britian.
How many slaves in England during Somserset vs Stewart?
14000 to 15000
When was the Zong Massacre?
1781
What was the Zong Massacre?
- Mass killing of 130 slaves on British ship, as water was running low following navigational errors.
- Insurance had been taken out on lives of enslaved Africans, but insurers refused to honour the claim and were taken to court.
What percentage of slaves who embarked on ships in African ports died en oute to their destination?
14.5%
How much money did it cost to outfit the Lottery (slave ship) in 1798?
£2307
How much money in goods did the lottery carry?
£8326
How many slaves were sold from the lottery and for how much?
453 for £22,726
How much profit did the lottery generate?
£12,091
How many slave ships sailed a year from Liverpool in the 1790s?
120-130
How much profit per year did the slave trade generate in Liverpool in the 1790s?
£69,000,000
What was impact of the Zong trial for conditions for enslaved people?
- The Dolbens Act (1788) where masters recieved a bonus of £100 for a mortality rate below 2% for slaves, equivalent to over 2 years pay for a ship’s captain.
How much money did Jamaica make Britain a year?
£512,000,000
Average life expectancy for a slave?
8 years.
How many slaves were there in Jamiaca?
200,000
How much of British economy rely on slave trade?
40%
When did slavery end?
1833
What was impact of Napoleonic Wars on Slave Trade?
- Napoleon reinstated slavery in Haiti and thus the Haitian revolution of 1794 was supported by British, gearing them towards pro-abolition.
- When Napoloen tried to reconquer Haiti the former slaves resisted with help of Great Britain.
- Abolitionist therefore became aligned against the French and therefore became more popular.
How did Abolitionists pass anti-slavery legislation?
- In 1806, abolitionists capitalised on anti-French sentiment by introduced foreign slave trade bill which banned British ships from selling slaves in French colonies.
- Many continued to do so under ‘neutral’ American flag
- Led to introduction of ‘Neutral Flag Act’ banning this.
When was Slave Trade Bill passed and when did it become an act?
- Introduced January 2nd 1807
Why was the Trade abolished?
- Slave Traders were being voted out of Parliament by the 1800s partly due to anti-French sentiments.
- Losses to privateers and disease caused a downturn in confidence as well.
How much money did Liverpool slave traders lose in 1778?
£400,000
How did the British government enforce the end of the slave trade?
- Introduction of the West Africa Squadron.
- Lord Castlereagh had ensured a decleration against slavery appeared in congress of Vienna.
