8.1.6

The Committee for the Abolition

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The Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade

This committee was established to abolish the slave trade.

Illustrative background for William WilberforceIllustrative background for William Wilberforce ?? "content

William Wilberforce

  • The Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was led by William Wilberforce.
  • Wilberforce was an MP. He was an ‘evangelical’ Christian. He was very religious and was very interested in social reform.
  • Wilberforce argued that it was not right to own people.
Illustrative background for The Abolitionist movementIllustrative background for The Abolitionist movement ?? "content

The Abolitionist movement

  • Some people in Britain boycotted goods produced by the slave trade, such as sugar.
  • They also wrote letters to Parliament and formed petitions.
  • Campaigners wrote pamphlets criticising horrors of the slave trade, such as the Zong affair in 1781. Olaudah Equiano is known as one of the leaders publicising the Zong affair in Britain.
    • This was when slaves were thrown overboard a ship (the Zong) in order for the captain to claim the insurance.
Illustrative background for Was the slave trade becoming less profitable?Illustrative background for Was the slave trade becoming less profitable? ?? "content

Was the slave trade becoming less profitable?

  • By the end of the 18th century, profits for slave traders were less than at the beginning of the century.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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