up in both Houses, proclaimed the guilt of their small great island in the transatlantic slave trade and asked their motherland to atone.”
the question of the Slave Trade to be one which involves the dearest interests of humanity, and the most urgent claims of policy, justice, and religion; and that should they succeed in effecting its abolition, they would regard that success as entailing more true glory on their administration, and more honour and advantage on their country, than any other transaction in which they could be engaged”. Te Resolution, which was subsequently moved in the House
of Commons by Secretary of State Charles James Fox and in the House of Lords by Lord William Grenville (then prime minister as head of the Ministry of All the Talents), was largely to the follow- ing effect: “Tat conceiving the African Slave Trade to be contrary to the principles of justice, humanity, and sound policy, this House will, with all practicable expedition, take measures to abolish it, in such manner, and at such time, as shall be thought advisable.” Both Houses agreed that the British King at the time, George III,
“Members of Parliament stood
should negotiate with foreign powers, for the purpose of procuring their concurrence in effecting a general abolition of the African Slave Trade. Parliament further agreed that: “Te time, it is to be hoped, is not now far distant, when Africa will be relieved from the oppression, degradation, and misery of this impious commerce; [that] when arresting the progress of that system of fraud, treachery, and violence, which converts a large part of the habitable globe into a field of warfare and desolation, this nation [Great Britain] shall begin to atone to the Negro race for their accumulated wrongs, by ardent endeavours to impart to them the advantages of civilisation, the comforts and security of social life, and the estimable blessings of the Christian religion.” Sadly, Secretary of State Fox and Dr Horsley, bishop of Asaph,
both powerful advocates of “this cause of outraged justice and suffering humanity” died before the provisions of the Act became effective.
The debates Mr Fox and his supporters inside and outside Parliament, includ- ing William Wilberforce, who had led the parliamentary campaign against abolition since the 1790s, wanted fresh imports of African slaves into the Caribbean islands and the Americas to be abolished, but not slavery itself. It meant that if their Resolution was carried, the Africans already enslaved on the plantations in the Americas and the Caribbean would still remain slaves. Even on this, there was great resistance from the slave own-
New African | October 2011 | 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100