Why was slavery abolished?

A remarkable change

Britain’s views had changed by 1850. In 1808 Parliament passed a law making the trading of slaves illegal. In 1833 slavery it was abolished in the Britain Empire. Britain took the abolition of slavery very seriously and fought hard against the large illegal slavery trade.

The slave trade is a trade of the greatest profit to this kingdom of any we have.

Almost every man in Liverpool is a merchant.

Was slavery abolished by the Abolitionists?

FORMER SLAVESAbolitionists were former slaves. Another abolitionist was a talented poet and the first black women in Britain to have a book published. Another abolitionist, Ottobah Cuguano focused more on the fact that slavery was wrong.

RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNERSMany others were opposed to slavery. In 1773 Sharp, an abolitionist lawyers, defended a slave who lived in Britain and had run away from his owner. Sharp argued that slavery did not exist in Britain. The judges agreed with him and this effectively meant that African slaves in Britain were free. In 1774 the religious leader, John Wesley attacked slavery. Wesley was the founder of the Methodist Church. This church had a thousand of followers, towns and cities, especially among ordinary working people. And its support was growing, to support the abolition of slavery.Another religious group that strongly supported abolition was the Quakers. They played an important role in the formation of the Society for the Abolition of the slave trade in 1787. One supporter was the pottery maker, Josiah Wedgwood.One of the most high profile abolitionists in Britain was Thomas Clarkson.He proposed:

The treatment of slaved in America and their short life expectancy.

Slaves were punished on the plantations. It was made a model of the slave ship.

The Abolitionists began to have a big impact on public opinion. Million of reports, books were published attacking slavery.

The man who led the Abolitionists in Parliament was the MP for Bradford (committee), William Wilberforce. He bought the issue of slavery before Parliament.

In Liverpool, there were anti-abolitionists opposing abolition.

In the end Wilberforce was rejected. There was a lot of sympathy for the Abolitionists in Parliament.

In 1807 Parliament did pass an Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. But it was not the end of slavery. The Society for the Abolition of Slavery continued to campaign and its following continued to grow.

In 1823 female and Childs slavery was illegal.

In 1825 Wilberforce retired from ill health, but his place was taken by Thomas Fowell Buxton. In 1833 Wilberforce was dead.

Was slavery abolished because of politics and economics?

In 1944 the historian, Eric Williams believed that Britain abolished slavery for economic and political reasons. He thought that in 1820 politicians were less worried about abolishing slavery.

Finally, most historians think that the Parliamentary Reform Act of 1832 was playing a role in getting slavery abolished in 1833. This Reform increase the number of people allowed to vote. Most of the new voters were in the new industrial towns which were growing so quickly.

At the same time the freed slaves still had to work for their owners for seven years.

Questions for all the class.

1. Who were the abolitionists?2. Who was John Wesley?3. What was the name of the new religious group that supported

abolition?4. Who was Thomas Clarkson? What things that he proposed?5. William Wilberforce wanted to abolish slavery or not? Justify.

DONE BY: AGUSTINA.V—FAUSTINA.R and NICOLE REBOUR