Various Factors Which Secured Emancipation of The Slaves in 1833

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ECONOMIC, RELIGIOUS AND HUMANITARIAN FACTORS which helped

secure Emancipation of the slaves in 1833
During the last quarter of the eighteenth century, the slave trade and slavery came under
increasing attack in Britain. The two movements for abolition and emancipation were not
inseparable; the attack on one presumed an attack on the other. Though abolition of the
slave trade and the emancipation of slaves occurred at different points in time, the forces
which operated to effect them were more or less similar.
In looking at the argument from an economic perspective it would be invalid to

overlook the significance of the Industrial Revolution. By the end of the 18th century
the Industrial Revolution was gaining momentum. The principal cities engaged in the
slave trade, namely, London, Bristol and Liverpool, had developed other economic
interests than slave trading and did not fear the loss from abolition. For example,
Liverpool had a new interest in the importation of raw cotton from the United States of
America for the mills of Lancashire, which could compensate for the loss of slaves. The
early 19th century was a period of depression in West Indian agriculture. Machines, such
as the Spinning Jenny, were being invented thus England could produce goods on a larger
scale. It was the age of steam and efficiency. With this increase in production, Britain
would want markets in which to sell her goods. The industrialists and manufacturers, who
grew out of the Revolution, would support free- trade and would want to hear nothing
that leaned in the direction of mercantilism. They began to trade with the East and other
areas, to the detriment of the West Indian who had a protected market. It is known that
any movement that brings money to a country that this movement should be supported by
the government, thus England did not bother to wipe the tears of the weeping plantocracy
but became involved in free-trade. Also, the West Indies were getting stiff competition in
the sugar market in places like Mauritius and the East Indies, where sugar was grown by
free labour. Also, beet sugar, which was cheaper, began to be grown in Europe thus this
was another blow to the West Indies. Businessmen began to invest in industrial rather
than agricultural production. Young men coming out of business schools began to look
for a future in the industrial field. All these economic factors helped make the “jewels” in
the monarchy’s crown seem dull. Declining profitability served to weaken the opposition
from the West India Interest in Britain, who agitated against abolition and emancipation,
in and out of Parliament.
The declining influence of West Indian planters can also be seen within the context of
conflicting economic interests in Britain. Traditionally, the great landowners were the
ruling class but by the 19th century, a new group of influential men had emerged. These
were the industrialists and the manufacturers, the product of the Industrial Revolution.
These men had little sympathy with the slave trade and slavery especially since they were
attracted by the more lucrative market for their textile and metal products in the East
Indies. Slavery was doomed when these men came to dominate Parliament in 1832.
From the religious perspective. Under the new evangelism introduced by John and
Charles Wesley in the latter 18th century, England experienced an upsurge of religious
fervour and sympathy for the welfare of mankind. In this atmosphere the cause of the
slaves could be assured of greater attention and wider public support than it had before
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received. This change of attitude was partly the work of the missionaries, the religious
sects and the humanitarians in England. There are the Quakers, a religious body, who
did its part by attacking the conscience of the English people throughout the pamphlets,
the press and the pulpit. They helped form “The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the
Slave Trade”. This Society operated through the medium of the press, popular pamphlets
and the pulpit to educate the British public on the evils of slavery. Branches of the
Society were found in most large English towns. The work of the missionaries was
supplemented by the Clapham Sect and the missionaries. This religious group, the
Clapham Sect, which grew out of the Church of England, played its part by supplying
information to men like Wilberforce, who would then raise the issues in parliament. The
missionaries were a very influential group since many had served in the West Indies and
had become familiar with the evils of slavery and the slave trade. Important among them
were William Knibb who undertook lecture tours in England, and James Ramsay who
occupied his spare time in writing pamphlets on West Indian slavery.
While the religious bodies sought to educate British public opinion, the
humanitarians sought to achieve definite gains by agitating against slavery and the
slave trade in the law courts and in Parliament. There were also humanitarians like
Granville Sharp, also a Quaker, in the James Somerset case, who got Lord Mansfield, on
22 June 1772, to abolish slavery in England, as it was not upheld by the constitution.
Also, Wilberforce debated on the topic in parliament. Thomas Clarkson did an
investigative work to acquire evidence against slavery. He wrote books such as “Is It
Right To Make Men Slaves Against Their Will”? and A Summary View Of The Slave
Trade And The Probable Consequences Of Its Abolition. He secured many supporters
including William Wilberforce who was thereafter responsible for raising the question
and keeping it alive in Parliament. There were also many others like James Ramsay,
James Stephen, Zachary Macauley, William Pitt, Charles Fox, to name a few. In 1823, a
more vigorous society was formed embracing representatives of all reforming groups.
This was the ‘Society for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery’ or the ‘Anti-Slavery Society’
as it was called. It had about two hundred and twenty branches throughout England.
Agitation included petitions sent to Parliament to abolish slavery, Clarkson undertook
lecture tours, and in 1828, Macaulay became editor of the Society’s Anti-Slavery
Monthly Reporter, and gave vigour to its anti-slavery publications.
Politically: The success of the anti-slave trade and anti-slavery movements depended on
the measure of support obtained in Parliament since parliamentary enactments were
necessary to effect reform. To support his cause in Parliament, Wilberforce secured the
support of Prime Ministers William Pitt and Charles James Fox, and such
parliamentarians as Edmund Burke. In the 1820’s the formation of the Anti-Slavery
Society coincided with the reforming zeal, which was pervading Britain. There was a
general demand for the reform of Parliament and supporters of this movement and those
for emancipation gave each other mutual support. The Tory government was replaced
by a Whig government in 1831. These Whigs supported the industrialists and were
pledged to reform. It is said that when Knibb heard that parliament was reformed he
exclaimed, “Thank God! Now I’ll have slavery down”. New towns were being opened up
in England and they gained representation in parliament. Since reform was in the air they
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would let their representatives do what they could about the present state of things in
England. One issue would be slavery since the people had grown sympathetic towards the
abolition movement. They were supported by King William IV who succeeded George
IV that year, and together they passed the Emancipation Act in 1833.
Socially, as mentioned above, the general atmosphere in England was the spirit of
reform. Anything that needed a change would be looked upon as prone to reformation by
the people. One important change they saw was the means by which sugar was grown in
the Indies, thus they supported the abolition cause. Also, the East India interest agitated
against slavery since they grew sugar by free labour. The slaves themselves were
beginning to feel restless as they felt that their freedom was being withheld. An example
of this restlessness is the Christmas Rebellion in 1831. These revolts caused Knibb to say
that the preserving of slavery would lead to “a racial war!”
The planters themselves caused their own downfall by not conforming to the
Amelioration and the Registration Bill. Also, when they persecuted and bullied the
missionaries through the Colonial Church Union, this caused a general feeling of
discontent among the English people.
Thus it can be seen that these factors did play a role in the downfall of slavery, but unless
the movement or institution was no longer seen as profitable abolition might have taken
longer. The noise of the machines in England and the flow of cheaper sugar drowned the
voice of the West Indian plantocracy.
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1

ECONOMIC, RELIGIOUS AND HUMANITARIAN FACTORS which helped

In looking at the argument from an economic perspective it would be invalid to

CLASS HANDOUT:ONLY TO BE USED AS A GUIDE.

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