Slave trade

• Reasons for the success of the abolition campaign


  • Religious impact - the quakers were a respected religious group who preached that slavery went against basic Christian values of respect and kindness
  • William Wilberforce - his commitment and perseverance in passing an anti slavery bill in parliament was extremely effective after years of being dismissed the bill was eventually passed in 1807
  • Petitions - for one of the first times petitions were used and signed by thousands of brits across the country alerting parliament to the popularity of a slavery ban
  • Economic factors - due to industrialisation and the spread of the British empire products created during the slave trade such as sugar and cotton could be grown and processed in different countries closer to home
  • Revolts - slave revolts in the West Indies were sometimes successful and slave traders and merchants were worried their own plantation workers would join the movement
  • Anti sugar societies - brits particularly women boycotted products produced through the slave trade such as sugar reducing the demand for the product and the need for slaves
• Campaigns to keep slavery


  • Loss of jobs - jobs in ports such as Bristol and Liverpool would be lost with a decrease of travel across the Atlantic
  • Bribes - wealthy merchants and traders bribed MPs to vote for the continuation of the slave trade
  • Economy - the British economy would lose a complete industry and France was continuing their slave trade
  • Unawareness - the reality of the slave trade was hidden from many brits so they were unaware of the atrocities which ensured the continuation of the slave trade
  • Loss of products - natural products produced by the slave trade such as sugar and coffee would be more difficult to purchase as the supply would decrease
  • African rulers - many African tribes especially the Ashanti tribe were making large amounts of money and gaining a lot of power from the slave trade and were against the abolition
• Methods used by abolitionists


  • Equiano - Equiano was an ex slave who wrote a factual book on his experiences in slavery. His intelligence and articulation shocked many brits and shot down stereotypes held about slaves
  • Wilberforce - William persistently passed bills in parliament for 18 years and used his political connections to keep the slave trade a serious issue for UK MPs
  • Religion - quakers were well respected and Britain was religious so they agreed with anything shared by their ministers
  • Tactics - instead of battling against the entirety of slavery, abolitionists chose to stop the buying and selling of slaves first
  • Sugar boycott - British women stopped eating sugar and drinking it in their teas to damage the supply chain for slave produced products
  • The Zong - a trial which alerted the British public to the issues of slavery after a slave trader was found guilty of murdering numbers of slaves which he was transporting across the Atlantic to save on supplies
• Economic arguments used by abolitionists


  • Empire - as the British empire was growing rapidly it was discovered that sugar could be grown in countries such as India for much cheaper and in a more efficient manner
  • Jobs - as Britain began to industrialize, jobs lost from the slave trade in docks could be found in the modern factories appearing in major cities
  • Industry - as British industry improved and became a world power, the country was no longer dependent on the slave trade for financial gain
  • Work rate - slave traders began to realise that freed slaves worked harder than enslaved people who had no rights
• Organisation of slave trade


  • Slave coast - the west coast of Africa became known as the slave coast as Europeans captured slaves or bought slaves off African tribes for European weapons, money and produce
  • Middle passage - the middle passage was extremely dangerous due to threats from the weather, pirates and uprisings on the boats themselves, many slaves died due to disease and malnutrition
  • West Indies - after boats survived the middle passage they travelled to the West Indies where slaves were sold and products such as sugar and rum
  • Southern America - more slaves were sold and products such as tobacco and cotton were collected
  • Britain - as the ships arrived home they transferred all their collected products to factories to be processed and sold across Europe
  • Timing - the entire journey could take anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months, usually longer from unplanned interruptions
• Impact of the slave trade on Africa


  • Violence - as slaves were often traded for weaponry, guns and ammunition were introduced to Africa and this saw a rapid increase of violence as tribes also fought while collecting slaves from each other
  • Wealth - tribes such as the Ashanti became incredibly wealthy from selling slaves from different tribes to European traders
  • Loss of population - British ships transported over 3 million Africans across the Atlantic which led to an immense decrease of population across the continent, specifically the west coast
  • Loss of land - when tribes were fleeing from slave traders or other dangerous tribes, many destroyed valuable farmland or simply left it to die when leaving
  • Disease - as traders travelled with newly enslaved people across the continent, tribes were met with unfamiliar diseases which they had no power or knowledge to cure
  • Racism - as the European traders were in control of the trades and transportation, they felt powerful and brought the belief that themselves (white traders) were better than the enslaved Africans, leading to an increased racist prejudices
• How were slaves treated in slave factories


  • Hair - slaves heads were shaved to prevent the spread of lice
  • Food - slaves were fed unappealing food which lacked vitamins and nutrients to keep them weak and prevent a successful uprising
  • Branded - slaves were branded, usually with the initials of their owner or plantation, to prevent escape successes
  • Chains - slaves were chained together in tight spaces for weeks in uncomfortable and claustrophobic positions
  • Disease - disease spread rapidly as many slave factories were near rivers such as the Congo, so malaria and typhus were common
  • Shiny - slaves were washed and brushed with palm oil to make them look healthier than they were and more appealing to American buyers
• Impact of slave trade on the Caribbean


  • Natural impact - to make room for large fields, native trees and other endangered plants had to be chopped down, destroying the natural habitat for many unusual animals
  • Infrastructure - many of the small islands did not have strong enough infrastructures to support the large groups of traders, owners and slaves which settled
  • Product - islands were made completely reliant on sugar alone as their source of income as all other field types were destroyed, when slave trade collapsed their economies were severely damaged
  • Disease - the native Caribbean population was unable to deal with the European and African disease introduced to their islands and many died from diseases such as small pox
  • Culture - as African and Caribbean natives mixed, a new culture (voodoo) was created from a mix of African traditions and French catholic religion
• Impact of slave trade in Britain


  • Ports - ports such as Bristol and Liverpool flourished with increased demand
  • Jobs - jobs as sailors, boat makers and other slave trade related employments became open and unemployment rates dropped
  • Wealth - merchants and traders used their wealth to build grand homes which have left a lasting impact in Britain such as the MOMA museum in Glasgow
  • Banks - banks such as Barclays and Lloyds were created to efficiently insure slave trade boats and the slaves/cargo onboard
  • Industry - slave trade profits were often invested in growing British industries such as textiles and ship building which ensured the success of the British empire
• Conditions on plantations


  • Jobs - skilled slaves earned money as musicians etc. House slaves were nannies, cooks, maids, field hands had the worst job on fields
  • Homes - slaves houses were made cheaply with stone, wood and weave causing uncomfortable living conditions
  • Food - the food fed to the slaves was poor quality, bare minimum to ensure the slaves could continue working
  • Punishment - slaves were victims to harsh punishment including whipping, withholding of water and hanging
  • Clothes - only two sets of clothes were given to slaves a year to limit cost and to make the slaves seem inhumane
  • Working hours - slaves would work long hours e.g. dawn till dusk
• Difficulties for slaves resisting


  • Language - many slaves came from different tribes so couldn't not speak their native languages or English in case they were overheard
  • Strength - slave masters would be in possession of weapons and slaves would be malnourished deliberately to limit revolt
  • Religion - slaves were forced to attend church and many adopted European religion as their own, making them follow Christian beliefs and stopping revolt e.g. no stealing, no violence
  • Intimidation - slaves were harshly punished for minor misbehavior so many were frightened to act wildly
  • Power - slaves in higher up positions were scared to rebel in fear of being dropped from their positions
  • Islands - for slaves in the West Indies islands, there was nowhere to run to or escape to once they had escaped their plantation