The Slave Trade in the British Empire
The actions of the black people played no part in the abolition
slavery and the slave trade in the British Empire. To what
extent do you believe in this statement?
The slave trade was a terrible event in the history of Britain, the injustice, the
racism and the unnecessary suffering of the black people was the beginning of
the understanding of the rights of the people of this world. Black people were
considered ‘unequal’ to the whites. That was the ignorance of the people
living in the late 17th-18th century at that time. The statement above is
untrue in some ways; indeed the black peoples did play a role in the abolishing
of the slave trade, but the white people who understood the prejudice against
the black people also helped the abolition take place.
Black people were torn from their own country and so they were very eager
to escape their captors at any cost. Revolts came hand in hand with the slave
trade. Black people would occasionally attack the people who kept them
imprisoned; sometimes black slaves would gain control of the slave trade ship
that was transporting them to America where they would be sold, If they were
lucky they could sail home to Africa, however the African tribes people did not
know of sailing the seas and had no idea of how to sail the ship home. On
land if there was a group of slaves they could gather and revolt in mass
burning houses and barns. Some remote areas became home to escapes
blacks. The white Americans did not like the idea of their slaves revolting and
so gradually people were deterred. A famous group of escaped called
themselves the ‘Son’s of Africa’. Some African people showed the public in
Britain what was happening; Olaudah Equiano (died in 1797) was a particularly
famous black abolitionist. He was taken from Africa to Barbados as a slave. He
then worked for the ship’s captain as a servant thus travelling great distances.
He then stayed in London for a while, where he learned to read and then he
became a Christian. He wished to be let free but his owner brought him back
to America. Eventually he was given his freedom; this is when he wrote his
experiences down in a book for the public to read. This shocked and horrified
the public some turned against slavery. He travelled around the country
speaking in meetings, his actions made a big impact on the slavery abolition.
In one of his books he mentioned the notorious ‘Zong’ slavery ship.
From 1770 the need for slaves were decreasing as Brazil and Cuba could
produce cheaper sugar and the slaves working on plantations in the West
Indies were needed less and less.
On the other hand there were equal amounts of white abolitionists there
were several famous individuals who decreased the slavery’s chances of
continuing. For example… Granville Sharp was a respected white man who
lived in England. In 1765 he came across a badly injured black boy called
Jonathon Strong, Sharp took him to a hospital where he gradually recovered
and became a messenger boy, however his old master recovered, recaptured
and sold him. Sharp took the master to court, The Lord Mayor ruled; “the lad
has not stolen anything, and now has the liberty to go anyway”. This case was
made very public and many people saw the injustice of the slave trade and
Sharp then started a campaign against the trade.
William Wilberforce was another white abolitionist he was highly Christian and
he believed that the slave trade was sinful. Wilberforce created a group that
fought for the abolition but Wilberforce was the most prominent of them and
was made an MP He made many great speeches and petitions. Tom Clarkson
was another member of the group; he collected information on the appalling
conditions on board the slave ships. Many people signed the group’s petition,
which the group gave to Parliament. Josiah Wedgwood the famous potter
made thousands of plaques each with the words “am I not a man and a
brother” and an image of a black slave man.
All the efforts of the abolitionists combined together made the trade come to
an end in Britain in 1807 not just the efforts of the black abolitionists and not
just the white abolitionists but united together as one great force of justice
and rights. I do agree with the general statement to some extent; the black
people were not the only peoples to bring to end of the slave trade but
nevertheless the black people did play a major role. People like Sharp, Equiano
and Wilberforce didn’t stand a chance on their own but as they worked
together for their beliefs they succeeded in what they wanted. However,
nothing could have happened if the public had not supported their motivations
and signed the petitions to free the slaves. They saw the blacks as more than
just another way of making money, they saw the blacks were not on another
level to whites and they realized the cruelty that was occurring to their fellow
humans. They were the ones who really brought down the trade and made it
abolished forever.