ABOLITION OF SLAVERY AND SLAVE TRADE
The abolition of the slave trade was a process of ending the buying and selling of human beings. It was the act of freeing slaves and stopping the use of human being as commodities. Britain was the first nation to Establish abolition of slave trade campaign due to the development of industrial revolution in Britain. Britain ensured that by 1807 her whole dominion had abolished slave trade, slavery was abolished in Britain In 1833, and almost all European nations had abolished slave trade by 1817 and slavery in 1848.
The USA abolished slavery in 1865 followed by Brazil in 1888, total abolition of slave trade in east Africa took place during the colonial period.
REASONS FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE
Industrial revolution.
This was the fundamental factor for the abolition of slave trade. The revolution began in Britain in 1750s and later spread to other European nations. That is enough to explain why Britain was the pioneer slave trade abolitionists.
The revolution was manifested by the invention of machines which simplified work hence forth largely replaced human labour. The Industrial Revolution demanded for an end of slave trade due to;
The need for cheap raw materials. Factories needed extra tropical raw materials like palm oil so European industrial powers saw a need for Africans to remain in their continent and produce raw materials cheaply other than being enslaved in the New World.
Need for market expansion for manufactured goods. It was planned that if Africans would be turned to free labour they would spend their wages and incomes from cash crop selling on manufactured goods to expand market.
Need for cheap labour. Abolition targeted making Africans cheap labour in Africa through production of the needed raw materials and low wages. The invention of the machines made slave labour unprofitable because the costs of maintaining slaves had become high since a lot of work was performed by machines.
Area for investment. Abolition of slave trade would create a conducive environment for European capital investment in Africa because Africans would provide cheap labour to the capitalist economies in Africa, very important also was that Africans would be blind folded by thinking that, the Europeans were humanitarian and their liberators and therefore cooperated with them.
The need for natural oils. In the early stages of industrial revolution natural oils got from tropical crops like palm oil were used as lubricants for machines because alternative oils like petroleum had not yet been discovered. On that point, Africans were needed to stay in Africa to produce enough lubricant oils.
The sugar competition between the French and the British
The British produced sugar in Islands such as Cuba and Jamaica and sold the sugar at higher price. The French also produced their sugar in Mauritius and Reunion using slave labour and sold it cheaply. The British could not sell their sugar because the customers preferred the French sugar which was sold at a low price contrary to the British who sold it at a higher price. The British lost the markets and decided to abolish slave trade in order to make the French raise up the price and create common prices for the sugar produced by the two countries.
The French had dominated the world’s sugar market by selling their sugar at lower prices than their rivals, the British. The French maintained lower prices because they produced it at lower costs by largely depending on slave labour, in support of their modern machinery. The, British, being out competed, campaigned for the abolition of slave trade to deny their competitors, the French who depended on slave labour force.
The influence of the French revolution of 1789.
The revolution spread the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity and that liberty should be extended to all races in the world. The spread of such liberal ideas swept across Europe to win willing hearts for the abolition of slave trade. It was realized that slave trade and slavery were against equality, liberty and fraternity.
The American Independence of 1776
In 1776, the 13 British colonies rose against the British colonial masters, in fighting for their independence. In the same year the British were defeated and Americans declared themselves independent. Independence meant that, the British had lost colonies where slaves were taken to labour henceforth had nowhere to carry more slaves
Rise of humanitarian groups in Europe
Humanitarian groups grew up in Europe like the so called “social reformers” formed in Britain in 1787 by men like William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson formed the society for the abolition of slave trade to campaign against slave trade claiming that “slave trade was contrary to the laws of God and rights of man” through W. Wilberforce who was a member of parliament pressurized the parliament to stop slave trade.
Role of religious bodies
Different religious bodies condemned slave trade and slavery accusing them of being against the will of God and inhuman that it caused suffering and inequality to God’s people. They also argued that God created all human beings equal so no one has the right to enslave others.
The influence of philosophers and their literature
Philosophers like Jean Jacques Rousseau condemned slavery by defending peoples’ rights and emphasizing on the liberal ideas of freedom and equality. On that regard, Rousseau in his book, “The Social contract” argued that all men are born equal and no one has the right to torture the other. In so doing, their literature influenced people to fight against slave trade and slavery.
Frequent slave revolts
Slaves being tired of slavery with its massive exploitation and torture revolted against their masters in many areas like in 1791 when the slaves in St. Domingo led by Toussaint L’Ouverture, killed their French masters and set up the Haiti republic. Such revolts contributed to the abolition of slave trade because they made slavery too risky and unprofitable
The rising prices of slaves in West Africa
African rulers and merchants had started charging higher prices for slaves. This reduced the profit levels of the European merchants dealing in slaves. Also Plantation owners reduced buying slaves due to high prices and many opted to invest in new manufacturing industries at home instead of plantations in the New World.
The abundance of slaves in the New World.
European capitalists especially the British had already collected enough slaves in the New World in their colonies such as Jamaica. Trinidad and Tobago, North America and also other nations like the Portuguese in Brazil and Spaniards in Peru. Basing on that, there was no need of buying more slaves.
Need for introducing legitimate trade
This made necessary for slave trade to be abolished so as to enable people settle down and engage in raw materials production for European industries and also buy manufactured goods from European industries
TACTICS USED DURING THE ABOLITION OF SLAVE TRADE
i. The abolitionist held campaign meetings, in their meetings sometimes they asked freed slaves to address the rallies and tell how they were mistreated during the slave trade period in order to make the public in Europe realize the evils of slavery and slave trade to mankind. For example, in the 18th c Fredrick Douglas and Olandal Equino who were the freed slaves from southern America were given a chance to express their personal experience in the northern USA.
ii. The use of ant slave trade patrol ships, most were from Britain patrolled the sea preventing ships from sailing from Africa with slaves, slave traders caught had to return slaves where they had obtained them
iii. Intellectuals and writers used books, newspapers and magazine to condemn slavery and slave trade; these sources spread information very fast and helped to gather support from various areas eradicating slavery and slave trade.
iv. Signing treaties between nations to stop slave trade. For example in east Africa. The British signed treaties with the Sultans of Zanzibar to stop slave trading in East Africa. The treaties included the Moresby Treaty of 1822, the Hammerton Treaty of 1845 and the Frere Treaty of 1873.
v. Creation of African informers, the British abolitionist created some African informers and entrusted them with the task of relaying information about slave trade activities and movement of slave ships, an example was the Efik in Calabar of west Africa,
vi. They established legal court and legal processes for slave trade dealers in Sierra Leone and The USA to sue those caught participating in slave trade in Africa. The important legal processes which were involved in the abolition of slave trade in the USA were as follows,
A. Banning the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (1807).
In 1807, the US Congress passed the Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves, making the importation of slaves a crime, effective on 1* January 1808. This act marked a significant step towards ending the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, though it did not address the issue of slavery within the country.
B. The Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was fought, in part, over the issue of slavery, with the Confederate states attempting to secede to preserve the institution. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, declaring that the slaves who were in the Confederate states would be freed.
C. 13h Amendment (1865)
Following the Civil War, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in December 1865., officially abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the USA.
vii. Signing reciprocal treaties among European nations to stop slave trade, for example they signed a treaty of equipment clause in which they agreed that ships carrying equipments for slave trade could be seized by abolitionists.
viii. Humanitarians’ campaign. They told people of Britain the evils of slave and slave trade. They urged the state to abolish it. Examples were Thomas Clackson, William Wilberforce etc.
ix. Influencing other European countries to avoid slave trade. Due to this slavery was made illegal as follows; Denmark in 1804, USA, Sweden and Netherlands in 1808,1813 and 1814 respectively
x. Diplomatic pressure to other powers by the British e.g France 1818, Brazil 1825, Portugal 1815 and Spain 1807
STAGES IN THE ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE IN EAST AFRICA
The abolition of the slave trade was not an overnight event. It was a long and difficult process. In East Africa, for instance, there were three stages in this process, as shown below :-
The Moresby treaty of 1822
It was signed between captain Moresby and the sultan Seyyid Said of Zanzibar (Oman), the treaty prohibited sultan from selling slaves outside his dominion, thus sultan was not allowed to sell slaves to India, Arabia, Persia, and the French island of Reunion and Mauritius, The treaty failed to abolish slave trade because it was not anti-slavery also sultan broke the treaty
Hamerton treaty of 1845
It was signed between the British consul in Zanzibar (Hamerton)and sultan seyyid said, the treaty restricted sultan from selling slaves outside East Africa, also this treaty failed to abolish slave trade because it was not anti- salve trade, the treaty was violated by the traders and sultan of Zanzibar who died in 1856.
The frère treaty of 1873
It was signed between sultan Barghash and Bartle frère, the term of the treaty was that there should be no slave trade in the sultan territories, under this treaty slave trade become illegal and the Zanzibar slave market was closed, the treaty achieved to abolish slave trade because it was anti – slave trade.
THE ROLE PLAYED BY BRITISH IN THE ABOLITION OF SLAVE TRADE
British enacted different laws which prohibited slave trade for example in 1807 act of parliament was passed making the buying and selling of slaves illegal in Britain in 1833 another piece of registration was made making slave trade illegal not only in Britain but also in other parts of the world
Some of British people played a great role in convincing the British government to abolish slave trade British government signed various treaties with other Europeans, Arabs and Africans to stop slave trade. In 1817 British established patrol on west Africa n coast to capture slave ships
WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TIME TO ABOLISH SLAVE TRADE/ REASONS WHY IT WAS DIFFUCULT TO STOP SLAVE TRADE
i. Other European countries refused to co-operate with Britain to end slave trade. Britain was the only industrial power which led to the campaigns against slave trade. Other powers like France did not concentrate on the abolition.
ii. The abolitionists encountered opposition from African chiefs who depended on slave trade. For example, Mirambo of Tabora and Kabaka Mutesa of Buganda
iii. Tropical disease. Many of the abolitionists died of tropical disease such as malaria.
iv. Treaties signed in East Africa only concentrated at the Coast which were destinations of the slaves. Slave trade proceeded in the interior
v. Lack of fund. The anti-slavery campaign was too expensive for Britain alone to compensate slave owners and British abolitionists had no fund This situation hindered the effective abolition activities
vi. Religious attitudes of the Arab traders towards the abolitionists. The Arabs in East Africa thought that the British abolitionist were rival Christians, who opposed the Muslim success in the slave trade
vii. Slave trade was difficult to stop because of division of African tribes against each other. This meant that African tribes would find it difficult to unite together and resist the slave traders, who raided their societies using organized bands of men
viii. Disregard of human life, many African rulers tended to put less value for the lives of their subjects whom they ruled, for example quite often a ruler of a tribe would easily order his warriors to attack the villages of his subjects and seize their properties, and killed some of them
ix. Profitability of the trade, European slave merchants and Africans involved in the trade were blinded by the huge profits made from the trade, due to profitability of the trade sometimes some abolitionist became slave traders or accepted bribes and let slave ship go, for example Goldon.
x. The slave merchants were more familiar with the coastal inlets more than the British naval patrols. They escaped from the abolitionists and supplied more slaves.
xi. Britain had few ships for patrol on the coast of Africa.
THE IMPACTS OF THE ABOLITION OF SLAVE TRADE
Foundation of Sierra Leone and Liberia, when the slave trade and slavery had been abolished, some of the slaves in the Americas were freed and shipped back to Africa. They were settled in two centers.
The first center for the freed slaves in Africa was founded in Sierra Leone in 1787 by members of the British abolitionist movement. The second center was founded in Liberia in 1822 by the American. Colonization Society. The two centers eventually came to constitute present-day countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa
Exploitation of hinterland, before the abolition of the slave trade, the colonial powers operated along the coast of West Africa and East Africa searching for slaves, but after the abolition of slave trade they penetrated the interior searching for raw materials and market where they can sell their manufactured goods.
The abolition of slave trade increased the spread of Christianity; European missionaries played an important role in spreading Christianity. They built schools for the children of freed slaves. They also taught freed slaves various skills like carpentry, masonry and agricultural methods. In addition, they provided health services to ex-slaves. It is important to note that these schools and health facilities were also used to spread Christianity
It Increased provision of social services, the colonial powers increased the provision of social services especially education. The main aim of colonial education was to train Africans to become better producers of raw materials that were needed in Europe. Colonial education was also supposed to change the mentality of Africans to prefer European goods thus created a ready market for them.
Improvement of the agricultural sector, the colonial powers improved the agricultural sector by introducing better methods of farming to increase the production of raw materials. It should be noted that the colonialists discouraged the production of food crops in Africa.
Development of commercial agriculture , After the slave trade had ended, cash crops such as sisal, cocoa, coffee and rubber were introduced and grown on the plantations of West, Central and East Africa. African small producers also entered the sector of commercial agriculture as peasants. They grew cash crops such as palm trees, cotton, cocoa, coffee and tea.
Increased exploration of the interior of Africa. The abolition of the slave trade was followed by intensification of exploration of the interior of Africa by the missionaries, explorers, traders and geographers. In the course of these explorations, the European powers established spheres of influence, which eventually became their colonies.
Decline of some African states. The states which depended on the slave trade as their main source of income weakened and eventually collapsed as a result of the abolition of the trade. Examples of such states in West Africa were Dahomey, Oyo, Ife and Benin. In East Africa, the Zanzibar Sultanate declined for the same reason.
Introduction of legitimate trade, there was introduction of legitimate trade that involved the buying and selling of natural resources, Example palm oil and cocoa. The colonial powers introduced legitimate trade so that it can facilitate the acquisition of raw materials and markets which were crucial in Europe after the industrial revolution