Abolition of Slave Trade

During the slave trade, approximately 388,000 Africans were brought to North America against their will. While the slave trade was the cornerstone of the economy of much of the United States, its practice was fundamentally at odds with the ideal of liberty on which the fledgling country was built. How, then, did the country reconcile the brutal abduction and enslavement of Africans with political idealism? What factors tipped the balance forever?

By the time the slave trade was abolished in the United States in 1808, the wheels of progress had already been in motion for decades.

Timeline of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

First, let's take a look at this table to gain an understanding of the timeline:

The Effects of the Slave Trade on West Africa

The Transatlantic Slave Trade had a devastating effect on West African communities. Approximately 12 million Africans were enslaved and taken to the Americas, leading to the erasure of cultures and the impoverishment of the region--slave traders targeted the healthy young men and women who were vital to the growth and economic health of their communities.

To secure a constant supply of slaves, Europeans would also agitate and incite local conflicts between tribes. Slave traders could then officially purchase prisoners of war from whichever side won. This era of manufactured conflict, in addition to the introduction of powerful new weaponry, broke down social ties between communities, destabilized local economies, and decimated agriculture throughout western Africa.

Fig. 1 - depiction of the cramped and inhumane conditions on slave ships

5 Reasons Why Slavery Was Abolished

There were several reasons why America abolished the slave trade in 1807. Among these were:

1. A growing interest among the general public in the moral and human rights implications of the slave trade

2. Abolitionist activism, first led by American Quakers, and later by British Quakers in the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade

3. International influence from Great Britain, which had colonized much of America, and had an impact on American laws and culture

4. The American Revolution and The Declaration of Independence, which laid the groundwork for an equal and democratic society

5. The domestic slave population in the United States was large and self-sustaining, meaning that southern states could still profit off of the sale of slaves on federal soil, and that their cotton-based economy could still function as it had previously

Factors that Led to the Abolition of the Slave Trade

Let's take a deeper look at the factors that played a role in the abolition of the slave trade.

Factors that Led to The Abolition of the Slave Trade: The Case of James Somerset

In 1769, an American named Charles Stewart brought the enslaved James Somerset to England. While there, Somerset escaped, and then demanded his freedom. Here is a quick overview of the case, Stewart v Somerset (1771):

• By the time Stewart apprehended him, Somerset had received a Christian baptism.
• Somerset's new godparents, English citizens, came to his legal aid, claiming that Stewart had no right to imprison him as a slave.
• Somerset’s lawyers argued that there was no law that authorized slavery in England.
• Stewart’s lawyers argued that property rights must be protected and prioritized.
• The judge agreed with Somerset, who then secured emancipation.

The trial wasn’t just decisive for Somerset, it was a turning point for Great Britain. Though the decision didn’t legally abolish the slave trade, the trial had brought the question of abolition to the forefront of the British public’s mind and resolved that it was inconsistent with their values. It also had a major impact on the abolitionist movement in America. Activists saw this decision as strengthening the legal basis for their cause, and legislators understood it to pose a threat to the American slave trade.

This gave concern to American slave owners who feared, because the United States had not yet won independence from Great Britain, that an anti-slavery sentiment in London could have consequences throughout its colonies.

Many of the seeds of abolition were planted by Quaker communities in the American colonies and Great Britain.

The first documented protest of enslavement within the colonies was the Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery in 1688. This petition was written in the colony of Pennsylvania, in a community founded by German settlers. In Germany’s culture only criminals were used as slaves. To them, the practice of owning slaves was barbaric and contradictory to the ideals of freedom the new world espoused.

In 1787, London saw the formation of The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Of the 12 founding members, nine were Quakers. Together, they lobbied for abolition to be enacted throughout the British Empire and in West Africa. Through years of publications, national speaking tours, and activism, they were instrumental in British parliament’s passing of the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1807.

Factors that Led to the Abolition of the Slave Trade: The American Revolution

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) won the United States its independence from Great Britain, and in the process created upheaval in the institution of American slavery. Many enslaved Africans in the southern states were able to escape to freedom in the fray of war, while others joined the battle and earned their freedom by fighting with the Patriots.

The anti-slavery movement that had been growing in strength over the previous century found itself fortified in the course of the revolution. Five states had already begun or completed the process of abolition, and other states began to move closer to it.

Fig. 2 - painting depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence bolstered the argument against slavery by stating:

It became difficult to legally defend and continue the slave trade in a nation that was founded upon such principles of equality.

Fig. 3 - 1818 print of the Declaration of Independence

Cause of the Abolition of the Slave Trade: The Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves (1808)

• Several clauses in The American Constitution, ratified in 1778, dealt with the issue of slavery.
• In 1807, The Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves was signed, and it came into effect on January 1st, 1808.
  • This was the earliest date allowed by the Constitution, ratified twenty years earlier.
  • It is notable that this act simply banned the importation of slaves and did not impede the domestic slave trade.
• At the time of its passage, roughly 4 million slaves lived in the United States, mostly in the southern states. By 1825, about one in every four people in America were of African descent.
• The large population of slaves meant that it was self-sustaining, as children born to slaves would become slaves themselves.
  • It also meant that the slave trade within the United States continued to thrive, and the issue of slavery was far from over, especially as the cotton industry in the South experienced a boom.
• The Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves was an important step towards the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.