TRADE AND NAVY

• What year did Britain win the Seven Years' War against France?

  1763
• What was a consequence of Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War?

  It triggered a revolt in the 13 colonies.
• In what year did Britain emerge as the world superpower?

  1815
• What was Britain's status in world trade by 1815?

  Britain dominated world trade.
• By the end of the 19th century, which countries began to compete with British commerce?

  Germany and the USA
• What was the government debt as a percentage of GDP in Britain in 1763?

  157%
• What caused the rise in government debt to 260% by 1821?


  The American War of Independence and the Napoleonic Wars.
• Why was funding the British Navy and European armies considered effective but expensive?

  It required significant financial resources, contributing to government debt.
• What does government debt represent?

  The total amount of money owed by the government expressed as a proportion of GDP.
• How does a higher level of government debt affect government spending?

  It means the government must spend more on paying off interest and has less to spend elsewhere.
• What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?

  The monetary value of all services and finished goods produced by a country, usually calculated over a yearly period.
• What is protectionism?


  Taxes or prohibitions on imports and exports designed to protect domestic producers.
• What is mercantilism?


  A policy of government intervention to ensure that the value of exports is more than the value of imports.
• What was the objective of mercantilism between the 16th and 17th centuries?

  To acquire gold or silver bullion through a positive trade balance.
• What were the initial government policies towards trade in Britain?

  • Protectionism
  • Mercantilism
  • Designed to obtain advantageous trading relationships with colonies
  • Aimed to protect British producers, causing tension and unrest
• What is free trade?

  An alternative system where import and export taxes are minimized to allow merchants to compete across borders.
• What are the three legs of the slave trade triangle?

  1. From Britain to Africa: British glassware, silver, copper, brass
  2. From Africa to the Americas: Slaves
  3. From the Americas to Europe: Raw materials, sugar, cotton, tobacco
• How many Africans were captured and forced onto slave ships destined for the Americas?

  12 million
• Which port was the number one slaving port in the world from 1723 to 1743?

  Bristol
• How many enslaved Africans did Bristol transport to the Americas each year in the 1720s?

  Around 11,000
• What percentage of the income of Bristolians was accounted for by slave-related activities in the late eighteenth century?

  40 percent
• How many slave ships left from Bristol between 1698 and 1807?

  2108
• How many slaves were delivered to the Americas from Bristol?

  486,059
• How many enslaved people died during the middle passage?

  90,000
• Which port superseded Bristol as England’s number one slaving port in 1744?

  Liverpool
• How did Britain's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade affect cities like Liverpool, London, and Bristol?


  • Liverpool grew into a major port due to the slave trade.
  • London became the hub of British finance and commerce related to slavery.
  • Bristol was heavily involved in the slave trade, with families benefiting from it.
• What role did the Town Hall in Liverpool play in relation to the slave trade?

  It was financed by profits from the trade.
• What was the significance of Lloyd's of London in relation to the slave trade?

  It played critical roles in insuring slave ships.
• Who was Edward Colston and what was his role in Bristol's slave history?

  He was a key figure who funded schools, churches, and public works from profits of the slave trade.
• What did the Gentlemen’s Magazine claim in 1766 about MPs and plantations?

  It claimed upwards of 40 MPs were planters or had business interests in plantations.
• Who was William Beckford and what was his influence in Britain?


  He was the wealthiest man in Britain, owned plantations in Jamaica, and ensured he and his brothers had seats in Parliament.
• What was the role of the Church of England in the slave trade?

  It owned Codrington plantations in Barbados, with over 400 slaves.
• What were the moral arguments for abolition in Britain?

  • The Quakers organized the first abolitionist movement.
  • Major breakthrough in 1787 with the formation of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
  • William Wilberforce led a parliamentary campaign for abolition.
  • Abolitionists created a grass-roots campaign to gather public support.
• What happened during the Zong Massacre on November 29, 1781?

  130 enslaved people were thrown overboard while being transported on the Zong.
• How did the Zong Massacre impact the abolitionist movement in Britain?

  It stimulated the development of the abolitionist movement, expanding its size and influence.
• When was the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade founded?

  1787
• What was the impact of the Haitian Rebellion on Britain's stance on abolition?

  It made abolition a pro-French position, which Britain did not want to support.
• What was Britain's response to the Haitian Rebellion?

  Britain conspired with loyalist French plantation owners and invaded Haiti.
• What happened by 1802 regarding British attempts to restore order in Haiti?

  British attempts failed due to disease and defeats by freed slaves.
• What significant bill did Wilberforce get through the House of Commons in 1804?

  A bill to abolish the slave trade.