Transatlantic Slave Trade
Introduction
Slavery was a widely recognized and accepted across the globe in the New World. Most of the major European powers possessed slave colonies and thus they practiced Atlantic slave trade, which formed an important part of their empire. The European powers used slave trade to establish key regions in the United States. Additionally, slavery contributed significantly to the economic growth of the European empire by providing the required labor. The slaves formed the backbone of the workforce in the European powers. They worked in agricultural plantations such as sugar plantations and in British industries such as textile factories.The economic value of slavery was evident and thus made significant contributions to the economy of the European empire. Although all major European powers participated in slave trade, Britain became the leading European country in trading slaves (Klein, 2010).
This paper seeks to provide an outline on why the European Empire wanted to abolish the slave despite it being a major part of the empires success.
Research Question
To analyze the reason why the European powers wanted to abolish slave trade despite it being an important element in the European empire
Questions the Research will Address
Why did the European empire support slave trade and slavery?
What factors led to the need for abolition of slave trade by the European empire?
Research Methodology
The study will employ a qualitative research analysis because it aims to explore and understand the underlying reasons why the European powers wanted to abolish slave trade despite it being a key component in the success of the empire. The information will be obtained from primary sources including semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. The semi-structured interview allows the interviewee to ask questions and have adequate control of the interview. Participant observation involves a researcher participating directly in study and the collection of data. It includes observing behavior, asking questions and listening to conservations (Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015).
Scholarly Research
Oldfield, J. R. Popular Politics and British Anti-Slavery: The Mobilisation of Public Opinion against the Slave Trade, 1787-180.7 Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995.
The transatlantic slave trade started in the 15th century when the European powers (the Dutch, Spanish and English) expanded their activities to America and in the West Coast of Africa. They kidnapped people and enslaved them in Europe to provide labor in mines, tobacco and sugar plantations. Slave trade was an important component of the European power because of its economic value that ensured success of the empire. Slave trade was a key element in the European economy that helped generate a lot of wealth to the empire. It helped finance the expansion of the Royal Navy as well as the growth of the European merchant fleet.
Klein, H. S. (2010). The Atlantic slave trade. Cambridge University Press.
Despite slave trade being a key element in the economy of the European kingdoms, the European powers wanted to abolish slave trade because it had become less profitable and also it had resulted in over population in Europe. The transatlantic trade resulted in shipping of millions of Africans to work as slaves in European industries and this resulted to increased population in the European societies. Additionally, the ship owners had ceased transporting slaves and ventured in transporting raw materials from Africa and America to Europe. This therefore resulted in decline in salve trade. Moreover, the religious revival in Europe led to condemnation and protests against slave trade in which they argued it was contrary to humanity and the laws of God.
Newman, Richard S. The Transformation of American Abolitionism: Fighting Slavery in the Early Republic. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002.
The Historian Walter Rodney states that European powers abolished the trans-Atlantic trade because of industrial revolution. Rodney indicates that Industrial Revolution undermined the profitability of the European economy by causing mass unemployment. The introduction of the new industrial machinery, increased competition in European markets and the need for new raw materials prompted European powers to end slavery.
Drescher, Seymour. Capitalism and Antislavery: British Mobilisation in Comparative Perspective. London: Macmillan, 1986.
The weak economies in African countries caused the European powers to end slavery. The European powers had established economic colonies in these African countries but the weak economies affected the profitability of the nation. For instance, these countries indicated a weak Gross Domestic Product (GDP), lower levels of utilizing modern industrial machines, the continuous reduction of export of agricultural and primary products. Additionally, the increasing inequality in the international market also affected the productivity and profitability of the European products from the African countries.
Thomas, Hugh: The Slave Trade: The History of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440–1870. London: Picador, 1997.
The increased protests and resistance by Africans and other ordinary people against slavery caused the European powers to determine to end slavery. The transatlantic trade prompted millions of Africans in America and in Europe to rebel against slavery. The need to be free caused Africans to continuously resist and protests against enslavement. Resistance against enslavement began in Africa during the Middle Passage period and spread throughout the United States within the European colonies. Africans fought the Europeans through use of various tactics such as non-cooperation, sabotage, guerrilla tactics and destruction of plantations and businesses that were profitable to the Europeans. In European, the acts of resistance and self-liberations among slaves resulted in revolution in the French colony. The French revolution remains the only slave revolt that was successful in the European history. It resulted in establishment of the first modern republic and fostered recognition of human rights. Therefore, the humanitarian impulse inspired abolition of slavery in Europe.
Eltis, D. (1987). Economic growth and the ending of the transatlantic slave trade. Oxford University Press.
The European powers including Denmark (180) and Britain in (1807) abolished slave trade because of the changes in economic requirements brought by capitalism. The economic decline of Britain and other European countries prompted them to adopt capitalism as part of the economy. Capitalism resulted in private ownership where companies were given control over their production and operation for profits. The features of capitalism which include competitive markets, voluntary exchange, capital accumulation and private property, changed the economic requirements. Therefore, it is argued that the need to end slavery and slave trade by European powers was inspired by economic self-interest.
Petley, C. (2016). The Royal Navy, the British Atlantic Empire and the Abolition of the Slave Trade. In The Royal Navy and the British Atlantic World, c. 1750–1820 (pp. 97-121). Palgrave Macmillan UK.
The European powers wanted to end slavery due to moral inspiration. Slavery was considered immoral and it affected the issue of sensibility and attitudes towards other people. In 1807, the British parliament banned slave trade based on moral inspirations. This decision was reached after the long campaigns conducted in Britain against slavery. The European powers used the Royal Navy to end slavery. Slave trade was an important element in the British economy and it also played a crucial role of financing the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy had the responsibility of protecting the expansion of the British merchant fleet in other nations. The Royal Navy was in charge of ensuring slave trade is not being conducted anymore. For instance, they intercepted ships that were suspected to be transporting slaves and contributed towards abolition of slavery and slave trade in Europe. The Royal Navy and diplomacy were used as spread abolition of slavery to other European nations thus regarded as abolitionist credentials.
The European power wanted to abolish slave trade because of the American revolutions. The American Revolution established the idea of equality, which meant the enslaved Africans, should also be awarded the equity as the whites. The American Revolution formed a powerful crusading abolitionist. European had established various colonies in the United States and the ideology of the American Revolution resulted in reduction of these colonies. Thus, loss of the European colonies in America prompted European powers to end slavery.
Anstey, Roger: The Atlantic Slave Trade and British Abolition, 1760–1810. London: Macmillan, 1975.
The European powers wanted to abolish slave trade because of the emergence of important reform movements in the 18th and the 19th Centuries. Britain and the United States worked together to end transatlantic slave trade through the American Revolution, which encouraged abolition of slave trade. Most of the European powers possessed slave colonies during the Trans-Atlantic period that generated a lot of profits to their economy. The American Revolution promoted the ideology of freedom and equality facilitated the need for abolition of slavery. The American ideals resulted in loss of colonies, which compelled the British to find other alternatives to their empire.
Brown, Christopher Leslie. Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.
The growth of the free-labor ideology and the factory system led to widespread of the abolitionist of slave trade. The free-labor ideology condemned slavery and thus promoted dignity and honor for labor that contributed to moral capital. It is argued that provision of voluntary labor enhanced significant growth of the economy. Abolition of slave trade was understood to comprise of ideological, moral and economic factors.
These sources are important in this research because it provides information on reasons why slave trade was an important part of the European empire. Additionally, these sources are important in this research because they provide information that enhances our understanding on why the European powers sort to end slavery despite it being a significant backbone of their economy.
Conclusion
Slave trade held a crucial place in the European empire. It had great economic value that contributed to the success of the empire. It was a main source of generating finances that were used in the growth of the business and expansion of their colonies oversees and in Africa. Slaves supplied required labor in sugar plantations, mines and European industries and thus become a backbone of the European workforce. However, despite slave trade having great benefits, the Europeans were committed to abolishing it. It is evident that several factors contributed to the ending of the transatlantic trade in Europe including humanitarian impulse, social factors such as overpopulation and economic factors such as less profitability and emergence of industrial revolution that undermined slave trade. Other factors that were instrumental in abolition of transatlantic slave trade include the rise of religious revival, the ship owners stopping to transport slaves, less profit and overpopulation. Therefore, the factors mentioned above posed significant challenges to the European economy that it was compelled to end slave trade within Europe.
References
Primary Sources
Anstey, Roger: The Atlantic Slave Trade and British Abolition, 1760–1810. London: Macmillan, 1975.
Brown, Christopher Leslie. Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.
Drescher, Seymour. Capitalism and Antislavery: British Mobilisation in Comparative Perspective. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Eltis, D. (1987). Economic growth and the ending of the transatlantic slave trade. Oxford University Press.
Klein, H. S. (2010). The Atlantic slave trade. Cambridge University Press.
Newman, Richard S. The Transformation of American Abolitionism: Fighting Slavery in the Early Republic. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002.
Oldfield, J. R. Popular Politics and British Anti-Slavery: The Mobilisation of Public Opinion against the Slave Trade, 1787-180.7 Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995.
Petley, C. (2016). The Royal Navy, the British Atlantic Empire and the Abolition of the Slave Trade. In The Royal Navy and the British Atlantic World, c. 1750–1820 (pp. 97-121). Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Thomas, Hugh: The Slave Trade: The History of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440–1870. London: Picador, 1997.
Walvin, J. (2007). Abolishing the slave trade. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved on 19th October 2016 from: http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/Slavery/articles/walvin.html
Secondary sources
Black, J. (2015). The Atlantic Slave Trade in World History. Routledge.
Evans, C. H. R. I. S. (2015). Guinea Rods” and “Voyage Iron”: metals in the Atlantic slave trade, their European origins and African impacts. In Economic History Society annual conference 2015.
Klein, H. S. (2010). The Atlantic slave trade. Cambridge University Press.
Lloyd, C. (2012). The Navy and the slave trade: The suppression of the African slave trade in the nineteenth century. Routledge.
Shumway, R. (2015). NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE STUDY OF SLAVERY AND SLAVE TRADING. Sandra E. Greene. West African Narratives of Slavery: Texts from Late Nineteenth-and Early Twentieth-Century Ghana. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. xiv+ 280 pp. Acknowledgments. Note on the Translations. Note on Ewe Orthography. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $28.00. Paper. Robin Law, ed. Dahomey and the Ending of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: The Journals and Correspondence of Vice-Consul Louis Fraser, 1851–1852. London: British Academy …. African Studies Review, 58(01), 242-246.
Swingen, A. L. (2015). Competing Visions of Empire: Labor, Slavery, and the Origins of the British Atlantic Empire. Yale University Press.
Wallerstein, I. (2011). The modern world-system I: Capitalist agriculture and the origins of the European world-economy in the sixteenth century, with a new prologue (Vol. 1). Univ of California Press.
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