British Abolitionists
BRITISH ABOLITIONISTS
BY FREDD JONES
APRIL 6, 2013
BRITISH ABOLITIONISTS
In 1807, the British slave trade was abolished by parliament. Two hundred years later,
Hollywood commemorated the event with the movie Amazing Grace. Like many historians,
Hollywood told the story as if William Wilberforce was a one-man crew.1 In reality, there were thousands of heroes to this story, on both sides of the Atlantic. Slavery was a necessary evil in the minds of British and American citizens, but slavery was a cancer on society. “American” can be considered here as either an American colonist or a citizen of the United States. The abolitionists went slowly to gradually accomplish their goals. William Wilberforce 's efforts were indispensible, but it is simplistic to bestow abolitionist credit on the legacy of just one man. Mercantilism is the belief that there is only so much wealth to divide between the nations. A positive trade balance can then be assumed to be the road to riches. In the seventeenth century, mercantilism led to the evolution of the triangle of trade, the cornerstone of which was the
Atlantic slave trade. At the height of this triangular trade, Britain experienced an economic golden age, with a huge percentage of that gold in some way related to the slave trade. The
Colonists in North America were also profiting and the triangle of trade continued legally for at least another quarter of a century after the American Revolution. The economies of Britain and her American colonies were booming. But in Africa, families were being torn apart by
____________________
1 Riding, 2007
2 kidnappers. Humans were being uprooted from their heritage and losing their freedom to merciless bandits. Frequently, African war lords picked fights on trumped up charges and started wars with rival tribes or simply overpowered their peaceful neighbors, just to capture poor souls as prisoners of pointless wars
BY FREDD JONES
APRIL 6, 2013
BRITISH ABOLITIONISTS
In 1807, the British slave trade was abolished by parliament. Two hundred years later,
Hollywood commemorated the event with the movie Amazing Grace. Like many historians,
Hollywood told the story as if William Wilberforce was a one-man crew.1 In reality, there were thousands of heroes to this story, on both sides of the Atlantic. Slavery was a necessary evil in the minds of British and American citizens, but slavery was a cancer on society. “American” can be considered here as either an American colonist or a citizen of the United States. The abolitionists went slowly to gradually accomplish their goals. William Wilberforce 's efforts were indispensible, but it is simplistic to bestow abolitionist credit on the legacy of just one man. Mercantilism is the belief that there is only so much wealth to divide between the nations. A positive trade balance can then be assumed to be the road to riches. In the seventeenth century, mercantilism led to the evolution of the triangle of trade, the cornerstone of which was the
Atlantic slave trade. At the height of this triangular trade, Britain experienced an economic golden age, with a huge percentage of that gold in some way related to the slave trade. The
Colonists in North America were also profiting and the triangle of trade continued legally for at least another quarter of a century after the American Revolution. The economies of Britain and her American colonies were booming. But in Africa, families were being torn apart by
____________________
1 Riding, 2007
2 kidnappers. Humans were being uprooted from their heritage and losing their freedom to merciless bandits. Frequently, African war lords picked fights on trumped up charges and started wars with rival tribes or simply overpowered their peaceful neighbors, just to capture poor souls as prisoners of pointless wars
Bibliography: Abolition.org, “Quakers (Society of Friends),” http://abolition.e2bn.org/people_21.html, retrieved July 18, 2012. retrieved July 14, 2012. Clarkson, Thomas, The History of the Rise, Progress, and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the Slave-Trade, by the British Parliament, 1839, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10633/10633-h/10633-h.htm, retrieved June 10, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/14/world/europe/14iht-entracte.4595425.html?_r=2, February 14, 2007. Spartacus.co, Granville Sharp, http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REsharp.htm, retrieved July 18, 2012. Spartacus.co, Thomas Clarkson, http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REclarkson.htm, retrieved July 14, 2012. Thelongridersguild.com, Thomas Clarkson, http://www.thelongridersguild.com/Historical_C2.htm, retrieved July 14, 2012.