“Never, before had a trade in slaves been denounced and then abolished by the governments of the same peoples who had created it”. In 1834, Great Britain abolished slavery in all of its colonies. The British Campaign against slavery was surrounded by the circumstances of British industrialisation and the American Revolutionary War, which were the prime stimuli in the emergence and triumph of British abolition. The main arguments employed by British abolitionists were on religious and humanitarian grounds. These arguments were central to the campaign employed by British abolitionists. Although, their campaign’s success was reliant on the circumstances that surrounded Great Britain. As following their dismal and disgraceful defeat, by their own …show more content…
As the slave trade eventually became economically insignificant for Great Britain. With half of its imperial slaves lost in the American Revolutionary War and the onset of the industrial revolution, Britain no longer required slave laboured goods, nor did the slave trade exist as a benefit. As it was acknowledged by the Americans following their independence, whilst they also wanted to profit from slavery, they wanted to reduce the risks, costs and stigma associated with it. During and after the American Revolution, many Americans had come to regard the traffic as barbaric and a stain on national honour. Thus, the slave trade offer no further economic benefit to Britain, but provided the opportune moment for the atonement of national sins. Hence, Britain came to the realisation that slavery posed greater harm than benefits and they were able to prosper from new systems through free trade and labour. Furthermore, slavery in instances of the Atlantic slave trade caused fearful problems, as a growth of the slave population would lead to social unrest and insurrection. However, “the money which procured a white man’s services for ten years could buy a Negro for life”. Whilst it may appear that ‘black’ labour procured through slavery was cheaper, in reality, the life expectancy for Negros was extremely short, potentially equally …show more content…
The main arguments employed by British abolitionists were on religious and humanitarian grounds. As, it has been argued that slavery, as an institution, was against the Bible of Christianity and the fundaments of humanity. Whilst, these arguments were central to the campaign employed by British abolitionists, their success was reliant on the circumstances that surrounded Great Britain at the time. As following their dismal and disgraceful defeat, by their own colony, the monarchy and the empire faced a crisis of legitimacy, which provided the opportunity to attack cruel and corrupt elements of the empire, that being slavery. It provided an opportunity for Britain to atone for its sins and regain its place as the greatest imperial power. Considering the disintegration of the slave trade, economically and with the rise of the industrial revolution, emancipation of the slaves was Britain’s atonement. Essentially, the main arguments employed by British abolitionists were that slavery was a crime against Christianity and a crime against humanity. However, their campaign’s success was reliant on the conditions of the time, being the American Revolutionary War and the economic status of Great