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African Slave Trade Research Paper

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Although the United States claimed it was acting to suppress the African Slave Trade, in reality, its actions aided in the growth of the trade. Due to a small force, limited funding, refusal to work with Great Britain, diverse duties, lenient punishments, and a lack of value placed on the duty of suppressing the slave trade, Americans allowed more slave ships to pass by than they caught. The benefits of sailing under an American flag far outweighed the potential consequences of getting caught, which was unlikely in and of itself. In 1807, Congress outlawed the importation to the United States of any person of color from foreign kingdoms. In 1820, slave trade was stated to be piracy, which is punishable by the death penalty. Even though technically …show more content…
By 1830 (and even more so by 1839), the American flag had the most favor among traders. The slave trade continued to grow. Great Britain was the leader in creating international cooperation in order to end the slave trade. Many countries agreed to give Britain limited rights of search, but the United States was reluctant. Finally in 1842, Britain and the United States agreed to a treaty that required both nations to maintain squadrons in Africa to enforce the suppression of slave trade. Britain maintained, on average, an excess of the minimum amounts of guns in the squadron. The United States’ African Squadron, however, fell short of the minimum seven separate years. Also, the United States focused on protecting commerce, while Britain focused on suppression of slave trade. From 1843 to 1857, the United States captured only 19 vessels. From 1840 to 1848, Britain captured 594 vessels. The United States was simply not helping with suppression of the slave trade in the slightest. In 1858, there was finally a turning point for the United States. They were forced to take action before Britain did it themselves. In 1860, twelve slavers were seized. During the Civil War, Nathaniel Gordon was executed for being a slaver, finally fulfilling the law set in 1820. Then, the United States finally agreed to a treaty allowed Britain a limited right of search. The United States allowed the slave trade to expand and thrive far longer than was

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