Reasons For The Abolition Of The Slave Trade

The End of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Slavery had become an extremely controversial issue among not only the religious group the Quakers, but also among political forces toward the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Before the American Revolution, slavery was widely used and accepted throughout the developed world, but afterward, people began to acknowledge the negative side of slavery. The abolition the slave trade of the United Kingdom in 1806 and 1807 paved the way for the abolition of slavery throughout most developed countries. The Slave Trade in Britain was banned in 1807 due to Britain’s rapidly changing society. The ongoing resistance and preaching of the Quakers contributed their endless support to …show more content…
He regularly introduced anti-slavery bills, the first being published in 1791. This bill plead for the end of the transatlantic slave trade, and being the first official document of its kind, it was quickly declined, 163 votes to 88. Many conservative members of parliament had made investments in the slave trade and did not want it to end or else they would lose significant amounts of money (Revealing Histories). The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was established in 1787, and was comprised mainly of Quakers although it would grow to include many influential parliament members. That same year, a young William Wilberforce joined the movement and officially announced plans to introduce an anti-slavery bill in parliament. With Wilberforce now involved in the movement, the committee had connections with Quakers, Methodists, Prime Minister William Pitt, and Charles James Fox, a powerful member of the opposition in parliament. These connections allowed the committee to be involved in both the political world and society to promote their cause. The same summer, smaller, local groups were spread throughout major cities of Britain so the message of anti-slavery could be shared nationwide. At this time, Wilberforce invested much of his free time in researching evidence supporting the abolition movement. Many of his friends and co-workers noticed his sudden interest and passion in the movement, and Prime Minister Pitt suggested in 1787 that he should present, “on the subject of slave trade” and to “not lose time, or the ground will be occupied by another.” This famous quote by Pitt confirms that Wilberforce was one of the first influential political figures that developed an interest in the slave trade, therefore he was the figure who can be held responsible for the introduction of the