Why was slavery abolished?

Learning objective – to be able to understand why slavery were abolished in Britain in 1807.

I can describe some of the key reasons why slavery was abolished.

Level 3/4

I can explain and use evidence to outline why slavery was abolished.

Level 5

I can explain and begin to evaluate evidence to show why slavery was abolished.

Level 6

Why did people want slavery abolished ………

Increased competition in production of cotton and sugar

The West Indies has been important because of its cotton and sugar production. However, by the end of the 18th century, Cuba and Brazil started producing sugar in huge quantities – driving prices down which the West Indies could not compete with. Plantations began to close and the demand for slaves fell.

Slave rebellions

A slave uprising in 1791 led by Toussaint, led to independence the creation of Haiti. This inspired many slaves and struck fear into the West Indian plantation owners, who thought rebellion could spread to them.

Influence of Olaudou Equiano

Olaudou Equiano, a former slave, campaigned against slavery by travelling Britain and America and by writing his life story. This became a huge best seller and clearly fought against the prejudices that white people were superior to Africans, who were only good for manual work.

Campaigns of Wilberforce and Clarkson

In 1797, William Wilberforce led a group of devote Christians in an anti-slavery campaign. Wilberforce was an MP, who presented the anti-slavery arguments in Parliament bringing him much fame.

Campaigns of Wilberforce and Clarkson

Thomas Clarkson travelled over 30,000 miles around Britain collecting evidence against slavery. He stored the evidence in a box and this covered the horrors of the middle passage and how slaves were treated on the plantations.

However, other people did not want slavery abolished ……

Businessmen who invested in the boom towns

By 1800, Liverpool and Bristol made £600 million from the slave trade.

Many businessmen, such as Matthew Gregson, who invested in the cities argued against the abolition of the slave trade.

Racism

Many people still felt that Africans were from an inferior race and were only fit for labour and heavy manual work.

Slavery, they argued, provided Africans with a purpose and work.

Employment opportunities

Many English sailors and shipping owners made a good living from the slave trade.

Without it, many could be out of work or at best earning a living which did not pay as well as the slave trade.

TaskIt is 1807 and Parliament are discussing the abolition of slavery. You have been asked to present evidence at the debate for the abolition of slavery.

In groups of four, prepare a Clarkson box which has objects which argue for and against slavery. Within your group, two of you work together on choosing items for a box that contains evidence for the abolition of slavery and the other two prepare a box which argues against the abolition of slavery.

Record your items on the worksheet provided.

Share!In your groups, share your abolition and anti-abolition boxes. Answer the following questions in your exercise books –

1. Were there any items in the pro and anti abolition boxes that were similar?

2. What was the most powerful or convincing item in each box?3. What was the least powerful or convincing item in each box?4. Who had the most persuasive box – the anti-abolitionists or

the abolitionists?

TaskThis word cloud is about the abolition of slavery in the shape of William Wilberforce.

Pick out what you consider the four most important words in the word cloud that summarise your learning in this lesson and explain why you have chosen them.