200 years ago
this month
Britain ended
the trade in
slaves. It took
another three
decades before
the owning of
slaves was also
abolished. It
was to take the
United States
three more
decades to do
the same.
Slavery is one
of the world’s
oldest economic
and social
institutions.
For example, the
Hebrews were
slaves in Egypt
thousands of
years ago at the
time of the
Pharaohs. Many
economies were
based on it, and
some still are.
Slavery is still
not completely
ended. There are
millions of
slaves around
the world. I
have been a
member of Anti-Slavery
International in
London for 40
years and I
chair the Board
of Trustees of
the Anti-Slavery
Society in
Sydney.
British
merchants
transported
almost 3 million
Africans across
the Atlantic.
But some Britons
opposed this
trade. In 1787
the Society for
the Abolition of
the Slave Trade
was created.
This set the
organizational
pattern for the
non-governmental
organizations
that now form
such an
important part
of modern life,
such as Amnesty
International,
Greenpeace, and
anti-nuclear
groups.
The Society
decided to
mobilize Britons
by writing books
and pamphlets.
It had a network
of local agents
and committees
scattered across
the country. In
1788, over a 100
petitions were
presented to the
House of Commons
calling for the
abolition of the
slave trade.
William Wilberforce, a
Member of
Parliament, led
the campaign
inside
Parliament.
Another
campaigner was
former slave
owner John
Newton (composer
of the hymn
'Amazing Grace').
It had been an
uphill struggle:
the financial
interests
supported
slavery, some
conservative
religious
leaders claimed
that it was
justified by the
Bible, and many
others simply
thought that
since slavery
was such an old
institution it
was impossible
to imagine a day
when it could be
abolished.
The opponents of
the slave trade
had only a few
weapons but they
were enough.
They had
enthusiasm and
determination,
radical
Christians were
able to show how
the Bible
actually opposed
slavery, and
they had
organizational
skills. They
eventually won
over public over
and the
politicians.
Eventually the
campaign was
successful in
1807. Britons
were banned from
taking part in
the slave trade.
Britain was
then the world’s
super power. By
1815 Britain
possessed over
half of the
world’s total
battleship
tonnage. It had
the ships to
stop the trade
across the
Atlantic. It
used its massive
power for a good
cause.
The Americans
are still
haunted by
slavery, even
though it was
abolished in
1863 during the
American Civil
War. The wealth
in the British
North American
colonies and
then the United
States came
partly from
slavery. In the
colonial era,
much of the
Atlantic trade
was slaves, the
products of
slaves, or
things bought
with the
earnings of
slave labour.
The
American
Civil War
(1861-5) was
fought partly
over slavery.
600,000
Americans were
killed – the
costliest war
Americans have
ever fought.
The US still
has black-white
racial problems.
Many of the
descendants of
those slaves are
still among the
poorest people
in the country.
They may be free
but they are not
necessary
wealthy or
treated equally
(more blacks are
in prison than
in higher
education and 90
per cent of
black babies are
raised by single
parents usually
the mother).
The descendants
of the slaves
are campaigning
for a greater
recognition of
the role of
slaves and
slavery in
American
history, not
least in
creating the
country’s
wealth.
Keith Suter
Dr Suter is Chairman of the Anti-Slavery
Society.
This address was originally
broadcast on March 2,
2007 on Radio 2GB's "Brian Wilshire" program.
