Why did slavery end?

In this lesson we looked at the four main arguments to explain why slavery ended.

These were 

1) Economic.

2) White working class.

3) White middle class.

4) Black peoples own actions.

Before you read what each of these arguments were you should note that there is rarely one single reason for events in history. So when you look at these try to see how they can overlap and go together to offer an explanation that combines more than one.

ECONOMIC

The famous economist Adam Smith said that the explanation for why slavery came to an end was very simple. Slavery was about making money. As time went on it became less and less profitable. Slaves would only work when closely supervised. People who are paid are much more productive. So if you don't have the initial cost and the problems associated with keeping slaves you are more likely to make money. Smith said that you can forget any arguments about it stopped because it was unkind. People knew it was bad when they started it- the key is how much money is it making.

WHITE WORKING CLASS

This argument is centred around working people such as mill workers in Manchester. In 1789 20,000 people from Manchester (out of a population of 70,000) signed a petition to end slavery. This was strange. Didn't these workers actually benefit from slavery? Didn't the mill workers get paid out of weaving cotton goods? So why did they want slavery to end? Well this was the period of the Chartist (refresh yourself on the year 8 pages) and the time of people campaigning for equality. Also these workers felt that they had empathy (were able to share feelings) with slaves. Maybe they were not technically owned but they did understand a feeling of low value and poor conditions. These people would even go on strike to end slavery. They said it was the pressure from them that stopped the slave trade.

WHITE MIDDLE CLASS

Britain was a very strong Christian country. The middle class were moved by strong moral ideas. If you were a Christian did it not tell you in the bible that all people were equal and that as a consequence slavery was wrong? People like Granville Sharpe and William Wilberforce used parliament to change the law. They put pressure on people to make sure the slave trade was stopped.

BLACK PEOPLES OWN ACTIONS

Olaudhia Equiano wrote about his experiences. The famous court case about the Zong and the stories of other slaves were put around to make sure people knew the full horrors of the trade. Slaves rebelled and would use every chance to make the plantations run at high costs. Runaway slaves were a constant source of high costs and more and more examples of slave attacks on plantation owners meant that many people believe it was black peoples own actions that made slavery very unattractive to slave owners.

Perhaps it was a combination of these. As you read through them you will be able to make links.