Slave Trade Act 1807 facts for kids
|
|
| Long title | An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 47 Geo. 3 Sess. 1. c. 36 |
| Introduced by | William Grenville |
| Territorial extent | British Empire |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 25 March 1807 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1861 |
|
Status: Repealed
|
|
.jpg)
The Slave Trade Act 1807 was a law passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its main goal was to stop the buying and selling of enslaved people within the British Empire. Even though this law did not end slavery itself, it was a huge step. It also encouraged Britain to push other countries to stop their own slave trades. The Act became law on May 1, 1807, after 18 years of hard work by people who wanted to end the trade.
Many people who supported this law believed it would eventually lead to the end of slavery completely. While slavery was not allowed in England itself after a court case in 1772, it remained legal in most British colonies. Slavery was finally abolished across the British Empire by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 in 1833.
Why Was the Slave Trade Act Needed?
The Big Business of Slavery
The slave trade was a very profitable business for Britain. Between 1791 and 1807, British ships transported over 660,000 enslaved people across the Atlantic Ocean. This trade brought a lot of money to Britain.
The Fight to End the Slave Trade
In 1787, a group called the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was formed. It included Evangelical Protestants and Quakers. Quakers had long believed that slavery was wrong. By 1807, these groups had many supporters in the British Parliament.
This group of politicians was known as the "Saints." They were led by William Wilberforce, who became a strong voice against the slave trade in 1787. He was inspired by the evidence against the trade collected by Thomas Clarkson. These dedicated politicians saw their fight against slavery as a mission from God.
Debates in Parliament
In 1792, William Wilberforce proposed a motion to end the slave trade by British citizens. He had tried before in 1791, but his idea was defeated. This time, Henry Dundas supported the idea of abolition. However, Dundas thought it should happen "gradual"ly, not immediately. He worried that if Britain stopped too quickly, other countries would just take over the trade.
Dundas suggested a plan to end the trade by 1799. He believed that rushing it would make merchants find other ways to continue the trade. Parliament voted to end the trade by 1796, but this plan did not pass in the House of Lords. This meant the fight had to continue.
A New Chance for Abolition
The chance to pass the bill came when Lord Grenville became Prime Minister. His government was known as the Ministry of All the Talents. Lord Grenville himself led the effort to pass the bill in the House of Lords. In the House of Commons, the bill was led by Lord Howick.
Another important event was the Acts of Union 1800. This brought 100 Irish politicians into the British Parliament. Most of these new members supported ending the slave trade.
The bill was introduced in January 1807. On February 23, 1807, after a ten-hour debate, the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. The vote was 283 for and only 16 against. The bill became law on March 25, 1807, and took effect on May 1, 1807.
This victory happened during the War of the Fourth Coalition against Napoleon. Napoleon had brought slavery back in French colonies in 1802. By ending the slave trade, Britain gained a moral advantage against its enemy, France.
How Other Nations Responded
Early Steps in North America
In 1793, the Parliament of Upper Canada (now part of Canada) passed its own Act Against Slavery. This law stopped the slave trade there and freed some enslaved people, but it did not free all existing slaves.
Britain's Influence on Other Countries
After passing its own Act, Britain used its power to convince other nations to stop their slave trades.
- In 1810, Portugal agreed to limit its slave trade.
- In 1813, Sweden outlawed its slave trade.
- In 1814, France agreed that the slave trade was wrong and promised to end its involvement within five years.
- Also in 1814, the Netherlands outlawed its slave trade.
- In 1817, Spain agreed to stop its trade by 1820.
The United States' Action
The United States passed its own Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves on March 2, 1807, in the same month and year as Britain. This law also ended the international slave trade for the US. However, it did not stop the buying and selling of enslaved people within the United States.
Enforcing the Act
Stopping Slave Ships
The Slave Trade Act made it illegal to transport enslaved people. Ship captains caught doing so faced large fines, up to £100 for each enslaved person found on board. Sometimes, captains would throw enslaved people overboard to avoid these fines if they saw Navy ships approaching.
The Royal Navy, Britain's powerful navy, created the West Africa Squadron in 1808. This group of ships patrolled the coast of West Africa. Between 1808 and 1860, they captured about 1,600 slave ships. They freed around 150,000 Africans who were being transported. The Royal Navy even treated ships carrying slaves like pirate ships.
Britain also took action against African kingdoms that refused to sign treaties to stop the trade. For example, the king of Lagos was removed from power in 1851 for this reason. Britain signed anti-slavery treaties with over 50 African rulers.
Later Efforts
In the 1860s, explorer David Livingstone reported terrible things happening in the Arab slave trade in East Africa. This made the British public care deeply about the issue again. The Royal Navy worked to stop this "abominable Eastern trade," especially around Zanzibar. In 1890, Britain even traded the island of Heligoland to Germany to gain more control over Zanzibar, partly to help stop slave trading there.
See also
- Slave Trade Act 1807 - Original Text
- Amazing Grace (2006), a film about the campaign to pass this Act.
- Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery
- Slave Trade Act
