Liverpool's Slave Trade as a Centre of a Global Commerce and an Important Factor in British Economic Growth

Of that 12.5 million Africans, 1,061,524 were from Spain, 5,848,266 were from Portugal, 3,529,441 were from Great Britain, 554,336 were from the Netherlands, 305,326 were from the United States, 1,381,404 were from France, and 111,040 were from Denmark. Britain began to slave trade largely through private trading companies in the 1640s. The London-based Royal African Company was extremely important to the use of slavery in 1672. The amount of voyages to Africa made between 1695 and 1807 from each of the main European docks that were involved in the slave trade was Liverpool, London, and Bristol. Liverpool contained 5,300, London contained 3,100, and Bristol contained 2,200. Other European ports were held in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Cadiz, Lisbon, and Nantes containing 450. In the early 1700s, many merchants came from London and Bristol. On the other hand, Liverpool was increasing as well from the 1740s surpassing their opponents. Even though London and Bristol were taking trips back and forth to Africa, Liverpool dominated both of them and continued until abolition in 1807. Liverpool was the most involved ports in slaving during the 18th century.

The European Industrial Revolution was a time for great progression in society and brought around new ways and means of trading and manufacturing goods. However, can the Industrial Revolution be the only source of prosperity in Europe (specifically Great Britain) when many companies, plantations and factories were where hundreds, if not thousands of slaves worked, often kidnapped and badly treated on the voyage from their home to be sold as goods.

The Atlantic Slave Trade was a part of African history that had made one of it's biggest impact on Africa's relation with the world and more importantly on the inner workings of the country itself due to its large-scale involvement of many of the people in the continent. Although the slave trade was so long ago the impact can still be seen in Africa's social workings within the people, its economy in the local and global market, and within the political landscape of the countries.

Everyone has their own understanding of what slavery is, but there are misconceptions about the history of “slavery”. Not many people understand how the slave trade initially began. Originally Africa had “slaves” but they were servants or serfs, sometimes these people could be part of the master’s family. They could own land, rise to positions of power, and even purchase their freedom. This changed when white captains came to Africa and offered weapons, rum, and manufactured goods for people. African kings and merchants gave away the criminals, debtors, and prisoner from rival tribes. The demand for cheap labor was increasing, this resulted in the forced migration of over ten million slaves. The Atlantic Slave Trade occurred from 1500 to 1880 CE. This large-scale event changed the economy and histories of many places. The Atlantic Slave Trade held a great amount of significance in the development of America. Africans shaped America by building a solid foundation for the country.

Part of this new act was that any ship found to be carrying slaves would be fined £100 for every discovered slave. If the captains of the slave-ships knew that a British navy ship would be heading their way, they would order the slaves to be thrown overboard in order to reduce their fines. The Royal British Navy, previously the defenders of the Atlantic slave routes, were now the thorn in the side of the slave traders. Likewise Parliament no longer promoted the slave trade but instead began to pave the way for international abolition. From this moment forward the British prided themselves on being one of the first European countries to no longer take part in the slave trade. Overall due to the perseverance and dedication of abolitionists,

The two majors drivers that led to the transatlantic slave trade was the European desire for the agricultural products of the Americas and the need for laborers to work the land in the Americas. All participants, besides for the slaves, benefited from the trading.

The title of the document is The Manner in which the Slaves are procured, An Account of the Slave Trade on the Coast of Africa.

The history of the Atlantic slave trade is long and sordid, from the working and transportation conditions to the structure of the trade itself. Historians and scholars from all backgrounds have worked to understand the impact of slavery and why it went on for so long. Two scholars, John Thornton and Mariana Candido, have extensively studied both the impact and organization of the Atlantic slave trade, but disagree on a few main conclusions. Upon thorough review of both sides, however, John Thornton’s ideas regarding the Atlantic trade are more convincing than Candido’s, and by looking deeper into each side it is clear why.

During the transatlantic slave trade, Britain were one of the main powers involved, begging the question: should Britain apologise for the slave trade? When discussing this question, there are several factors which should be considered. These factors include; whether Britain is responsible or individual cities, compared to other countries if Britain was that bad and, as it happened two hundred years ago, if we should move on and forget it. By considering these factors, it will be argued that Britain should apologise.

the ports were a major aspect of the slave trade, places such as Bristol and Liverpool became major ports during the trans Atlantic slave trade. They made money by taxing the ship coming in and out of the ports.

Liverpool is an example of a place in Britain that really benefited from the slave trade. Liverpool was able to gain 12 million pounds from 878 voyages and the sale of 30,000 African slaves. This money helped greatly towards reshaping Liverpool’s infrastructure and kick starting the industrial revolution. The slave trade made Liverpool the second city of the British Empire as well as turning Liverpool from a struggling port to one of the most richest and successful trading centers in the world. Liverpool gained 90% of Britain’s share of the slave trade which helped to build buildings such as the Town Hall.

By the time that the slave trade had been abolished in Britain and her colonies in 1807 eleven million men, women and children had been snatched from their homes. For historians understanding the factors that led to the abolition of the trade remains an important task. Whilst there is clearly a consensus on the main factors that led to this seismic and historic event there is obviously a difference in opinion on the most important due to the degree of subjectivity the question poses.

In the 1600’s, Slavery played a significant role in European history. The negative aspects that made up the dark times in history are, mainly centered on the brutalizing effects of the enslaved people, which can be best explained by the destroyed family bonds, history of the enslaved people erased, and unjust treatment of the slaves.

Labor exploitation was the key for the effectiveness of european expansion in the new world and define slavery as a principal component for global capitalism until it was not longer profitable. The atlantic slave trade influence europe economic growth and market development to rapidly spread through the atlantic trade. It was a intense dependence on the triangular trade that made merchants made big profits at the expense of the exploited labour abroad. Merchants were involved in all three sides of the triangle trade that allowed the transportation of slaves from Europe to Africa where goods were traded for slaves and then those slaves were brought to the Americas for the cultivation food crops and other raw materials; these later were brought back to Europe, Africa and the Americas to be sold. Resistance and revolts against the trade of slave was stronger in African areas where european demographic power was lower but “It was not until 1780s that increasing european along the west of africa coast finally drove up the price of slaves” and the overproduction of sugar in the caribbean and other raw materials lead the fall in the selling price of these products (shillington p181) european nations began to question whether the trade was still profitable or not. Britain was the first to completely abolished slavery in 1834 when manufactures found european labor in factories more efficient and less expensive than plantations. It was follow for the french colonies 1848, Cuba in

We will now explore the background of the triangle trade in America, Britain, and Africa, along with the economic effects that were brought to not only America and Britain but also the economic effects brought to Africa as a result of slavery and the slave trade.