The Campaign in Parliament

Aim: To give an account of the campaign in

Parliament to end the slave trade.

Success Criteria:•You can describe Wilberforce’s role in the campaign•You can explain why it took so long to persuade Parliament to abolish the slave trade.

Key Words:•Eloquence – someone who gives a clear, strong message through the words they use.

•Advocate – to publicly support or suggest an idea

•Social Reform – changes which improve peoples’ lives

•Trafficking – to buy and sell goods illegally

• The Abolitionists needed a champion in Parliament - someone who would bring an "Inquiry into the Slave Trade" before the House of Commons - and they felt that William Wilberforce was the man for the job.

• He "not only displayed very superior talents of great eloquence, but was a decided and powerful advocate of the cause of truth and virtue."

Video Clip

• Wilberforce was MP for Hull, he was popular and had many influential friends including the Prime Minister and the Prince of Wales.

• Wilberforce was also a Christian, interested in social reform.

• Encouraged by John Newton, Wilberforce joined the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade and soon became its leader.

• In 1789 Wilberforce introduced a Bill to abolish the slave trade. He had consulted with William Pitt the Prime Minister and had his support.

• He was a good speaker, James Boswell noted: "I saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table; but as I listened, he grew, and grew, until the shrimp became a whale.

• Thomas Clarkson worked closely with Wilberforce to provide him with evidence of the slave trade and in his first speech in Parliament on the issue he spoke for 3 hours ending by saying

• “Having heard all of this you may choose to look the other way but you can never again say that you did not know.”

• In the House of Commons Wilberforce had to face the supporters of the slave trade and their agents, who were MPs employed by groups of people to defend their interests.

Arguments Against Abolition

• The economies of the colonies (West Indies) would be ruined without slave labour and the UK’s economy would be damaged too.

• Tens of thousands of people were employed in the slave trade directly or in processing the products of slavery that were brought from the Americas e.g. cotton.

• Products produced in the colonies would no longer be available in Britain or would be more expensive.

• Slave owners would want compensation for loss of property.• Many MPs and members of the House of Lords were slave

owners or merchants• There was also a racist argument that Africans were inferior to

Europeans and not “ real” human beings worth worrying about.

The Campaign in Parliament

Aim:• To examine the key methods which the

Abolitionists used to try and convince Parliament to end the slave trade.

Success Criteria:• You can describe in detail, four methods used

by the Abolitionists.

Method 1: Petitions

• First petition was sent to Parliament in 1783 and signed by 273 Quakers.

• Nearly every town/city in Britain organised a petition against the slave trade at some point.

• After the first Abolition Bill was rejected in 1791 the Abolitionists flooded Parliament with petitions.

• By 1792, 519 petitions with 390,000 signatures had been presented to Parliament – public opinion was turning against slavery.

Method 2: Lobbying

• In the 1770s Quakers lobbied MPs to try and persuade them the slave trade was evil.

• In 1788 Olaudiah Equiano led a delegation (group of Abolitionists) to Parliament to convince MPs to support a bill by MP William Dolben which would limit the number of slaves that could be carried on a slave ship.

• Equiano also spoke to MPs and the Prime Minister to try and win them over.

Method 3: Speeches

• Wilberforce was elected as an MP at the age of 21.• He made many speeches about the slave trade on

and off for the next 18 years without success.• In 1787 he met Thomas Clarkson – he used the

evidence Clarkson had collected about slavery in his speeches.

• Wilberforce was also close friends with John Newton – he also used Newton’s account of his experiences as a slave ship captain in his speeches.

Method 4: Bills

• Wilberforce first tried to get MPs to accept a bill against the slave trade in 1789.

• He repeated his attempts every year until a bill was finally passed in 1807.

• In 1792 a bill to end the slave trade was passed with an amendment that the ban should be ‘gradual’. Those who supported the slave trade interpreted this to mean ‘never’.

The Fight Continues

• Despite Wilberforce’s eloquence and Clarkson's evidence the bill was defeated in the House of Commons.

• Both men realised they had to step up their campaign in and out with Parliament.

• For 18 years Wilberforce regularly introduced anti-slavery motions in parliament. Each year the majority against it got smaller. Finally in 1804 his Bill passed the House of Commons only to be rejected by the House of Lords.

Success At Last……….

• In 1807 Wilberforce with the support of the new Prime Minister Lord Grenville tried again. The final vote in the House of Commons was 283 in favour and 16 against.

• The slave trade had been abolished.

1807 Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade.

Anyone trafficking in slaves is liable to a fine of £100 per slave.

Any ship involved in carrying slaves will be confiscated.Every ship-owner, part- owner, agent, captain, mate and

ship’s surgeon taking part in slave trading will be fined, individually, £100 per slave.

Insurance of a slave ship is prohibited: companies doing so will be fined £100 for each policy issued, as well as three times the amount of the premium.

Enemy ships captured with slaves on board will become the property of the Crown.

Tasks

1. Make a note of the main arguments against Abolition.

2. What were the main terms of the 1807 Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade?

3. Now complete Task 27 from your workguide.Note: In question 7 look for three things that the sources disagree on.

Why Did The Abolitionists Win?

• The Abolition campaign was a grass roots movement involving thousands of people. However it was not an overnight success.

• It took nearly 40 years to achieve its goal of ending the trade and another 30 years for all slaves in the British Empire to be given their freedom.

• Granville Sharp and Olaudah Equiano did not live to see their campaign succeed.

Historian’s Views.

• Britain’s industries were growing rapidly. Britain no longer needed the slave trade. Free labour in India could produce as much sugar as Britain needed at a lower price.

• Religious feeling of Christian brotherhood moved their supporters in and out of parliament.

• Britain’s naval victory at Trafalgar in 1805 meant Britain ruled the waves. The abolition of the slave trade allowed Britain the pretext to stop any ship and destroy enemy trade.

Historian’s Views.

• The leadership of Wilberforce was crucial. His persistence and his ability as a speaker convinced others. His contacts in high places and his use of Clarkson’s evidence were immensely important at convincing others.

• The wars against France made the abolition certain in the long run. Slave revolts in Haiti frightened many slave owners. The capture of French and Spanish sugar islands led to a glut of sugar, British planters wanted to stop them getting supplies of slave labour so supported the campaign.

Key Words Task

• Look through your booklet on the Abolition of the Slave Trade.

• Make a list of key words connected to the topic.• This could be – dates, people, names or other

relevant information.• Make sure you cover all the key areas –

Abolitionists, Key Arguments For and Against Abolition, Methods, Campaign in Parliament.

Key Words Task

• Now collect some graph paper and design a word search with the key words.

• However instead of just putting the words at the bottom make up a CLUE for each word.

• For Example………

Key Word: WilberforceClue: He campaigned in Parliament to end slavery

Why Did It Take So Long To End the Slave Trade?

Aim:• Examine the reasons why it took so long to

abolish the slave trade.

Success Criteria:* You can describe the four key factors which

explain why it took many years to abolish the slave trade.

Why Did It Take So Long To End the Slave Trade?

• Granville Sharp brought his first legal case against slavery in 1765.

• The Society For the Abolition of the Slave Trade held its first protest outside Parliament in 1783

• William Wilberforce introduced his first bill to abolish the slave trade in 1789.

However it was not until 1807 that the slave trade was finally abolished.

Why Did It Take So Long To End the Slave Trade?

Key Factors:• The Pro-Slavery Campaign• Opposition to Abolition in Parliament• Campaigns Against Abolition in Slave Ports• Toussaint L’ouverture and Haiti

In reality the supporters of the slave trade were just as determined and vocal as the abolitionists.

Arguments Against Abolition

Complete this diagram showing the different arguments used by those who supported the slave

trade.

Factor 1: The Pro- Slavery Campaign

• Those who made fortunes from owning plantations in the West Indies or trading in slaves campaigned in support of the slave trade.

• They made public speeches and wrote articles in magazines.

• They claimed that abolition would harm the wealth and jobs of others.

• They also published cartoons/drawings to show that slaves were not badly treated.

Source A is from a magazine called ‘Woodfalls Register’, 16th April 1789

Countrymen, reflect for a moment on what you are about! – the sugar colonies, the grade of which is more advantage to this country than most who talk about this subject are aware of, could be lost to us. The capital (wealth) from the trade is said to amount to between sixty and seventy millions, two thirds of more of which belongs to the citizens residing in this kingdom. Can England afford to lose so immense a sum?

Factor 2: Opposition to Abolition in Parliament

• In Parliament many MPs supported the slave trade.

• They made speeches in support of the slave trade and gave evidence to Parliamentary enquiries.

• When Wilberforce tried to pass an abolition bill in 1792, an MP called Henry Dundas promised a compromise solution of a gradual abolition over a number of years.

Source B is a description of the middle passage given as evidence to the Parliamentary enquiry into the Slave Trade of 1788 by James Penny, a Liverpool slave trader and plantation owner.

If the weather is sultry, and there appears the least perspiration upon their skins, when they come upon deck, there are two men attending with cloths to rub them perfectly dry, and another to give them a little cordial…they are then supplied with pipes and tobacco…..They are amused with instruments of music peculiar to their own country….and when tired of music and dancing, they then go to games of chance.

Factor 3: Campaigns Against Abolition in the Slave Ports

• People from towns like Bristol/Liverpool campaigned against abolition.

• The Mayor of Liverpool, Thomas Leyland lobbied Parliament, claiming the end of the slave trade would do serious damage to the city and others.

‘The abolition of the slave trade would destroy the prosperity and possibly the existence of the West Indies while Bristol itself, one of the most prosperous towns in England would lose 60% of its trade.

Factor 4: Toussaint L’ouverture and Haiti

• In 1789 a revolution took place in France, the French people overthrew their King and executed him four years later.

• Many wealthy people lost their land, wealth and powers. This made people fearful of sudden change.

• In Saint-Domingue, a French controlled island in the West Indies, slaves rose up against their master and formed an independent country – Haiti.

• British leaders were worried ending the slave trade would encourage slaves in British owned islands like Jamaica to revolt.

Tasks:

1. Copy down the following key terms and their definitions into your jotter – Toussaint L’ouverture, Parliamentary Enquiry, Gradual Abolition, French Revolution, Haiti.

2. Complete the Anagram task from Activity 1 – remember you need to copy the full summary into your jotter.

3. Study the drawing about Plantation Life on page 87 – using your own knowledge describe three ways that this picture is inaccurate.

Why Was The Slave Trade Abolished?

Aim:• Examine the reasons why the abolition of the

slave trade was finally achieved in 1807.

Success Criteria:• You can describe the three key reasons why the

slave trade was abolished.

Why Was The Slave Trade Abolished?

• Study the different views of historians about this issue – Experts 1-6.

• In your own words, draw up a brief list of reasons why the slave trade was abolished.

Reasons For the Abolition of the Slave Trade*****

Why Was The Slave Trade Abolished?

Most historians would argue there are three key reasons why the abolition of the slave trade happened.

Key Reasons:

• The Abolitionist Campaign• Economic Arguments• Slave Rebellions

Abolitionists

• The Abolitionists campaigned for years to end the slave trade – Wilberforce played a key role presenting bills to Parliament.

• Men like Sharp, Clarkson, Equiano helped to change public opinion.

• In 1806 the Prime Minister, William Pitt died and the new Prime Minister, Lord Grenville had been persuaded the time was right to end the slave trade.

• Most MPs feared losing votes if they did not support abolition.

Economic Arguments

• Sugar production in the West Indies was not as profitable as it once was.

• Plantations were affected by slave rebellions, hurricanes and outbreaks of disease.

• Sugar would be produced more cheaply in India without using slaves.

• Other industries in Britain e.g. coal, iron, textiles provided less risky ways of making money.

Slave Rebellions

• Slave rebellions were commons on British islands in the West Indies.

• After events on Haiti, many slaves were determined to resist slavery and plantation owners were worried.

• It would be a good idea to continue the slave trade and bring more slaves into an unstable situation.

Tasks:

1. Copy down the glossary terms – William Pitt, Lord Grenville, India.

2. Complete the Anagram task from Activity 1 – remember you need to copy the full summary into your jotter.

National 4 Unit Assessment

• Focus on the first part of the topic

• Time Limit = One period

• Three questions – a total of 14 marks

• Key Areas To Revise – Triangular Trade, Middle Passage, Life on Plantations, Slave Resistance.

National 5 Unit Assessment

• Focus on the second part of the topic – The Abolition Campaign.

• Time Limit = One period• Three questions – a total of 18 marks• One will be an 8 mark question – ‘To What

Extent’.• 8 mark Question – Balanced answer –

Conclusion – Reason For Conclusion.

Key Areas To Revise:• Arguments Against the Slave Trade • Arguments in Favour of the Slave Trade• Key Abolitionists – Wilberforce, Sharp, Newton

Clarkson, Equiano• Methods Used By the Abolitionists• Campaign in Parliament – role of Wilberforce,

methods used• Reasons Why The Slave Trade Ended and Why

It Took So Long