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THE HISTORY OF THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE ABOLITION
OF THE SLAVE-TRADE, BY THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

BY THOMAS CLARKSON, M.A.

1839



[Illustration: Thomas Clarkson]

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TO

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM, LORD GRENVILLE,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES, EARL GREY,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE FRANCIS, EARL MOIRA,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE JOHN, EARL SPENCER,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY RICHARD, LORD HOLLAND,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS, LORD ERSKINE,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EDWARD, LORD ELLENBOROUGH,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD HENRY PETTY,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS GRENVILLE,

       *       *       *       *       *

NINE OUT OF TWELVE OF HIS MAJESTY'S LATE CABINET MINISTERS,

TO WHOSE WISE AND VIRTUOUS ADMINISTRATION BELONGS

THE UNPARALLELED AND ETERNAL GLORY

OF THE ANNIHILATION,

AS FAR AS THEIR POWER EXTENDED,

OF ONE OF THE GREATEST SOURCES OF CRIMES AND SUFFERINGS,

EVER RECORDED IN THE ANNALS OF MANKIND;

AND TO THE MEMORIES OF

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM PITT,

AND OF

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES JAMES FOX,

UNDER WHOSE FOSTERING INFLUENCE

THE GREAT WORK WAS BEGUN AND PROMOTED;

THIS HISTORY

OF

THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE
TRADE,

IS RESPECTFULLY AND GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.

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CONTENTS


    PREFATORY REMARKS ON THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

    CHAPTER I Introduction.--Estimate of the evil of the Slave
    Trade; and of the blessing of the Abolition of it.--Usefulness
    of the contemplation of this subject


    CHAPTER II Those, who favoured the cause of the Africans
    previously to 1787, were so many necessary forerunners in
    it.--Cardinal Ximenes; and others


    CHAPTER III Forerunners continued to 1787; divided now into four
    classes.--First consists of persons in England of various
    descriptions, Godwyn, Baxter, and others


    CHAPTER IV Second, of the Quakers in England, George Fox, and
    his religious descendants


    CHAPTER V Third, of the Quakers in America.--Union of these with
    individuals of other religious denominations in the same cause


    CHAPTER VI Facility of junction between the members of these
    three different classes


    CHAPTER VII Fourth, consists of Dr. Peckard; then of the
    Author.--Author wishes to embark in the cause; falls in with
    several of the members of these classes


    CHAPTER VIII Fourth class continued; Langton, Baker, and
    others.--Author now embarks in the cause as a business of his
    life


    CHAPTER IX Fourth class continued; Sheldon, Mackworth, and
    others.--Author seeks for further information on the subject;
    and visits Members of Parliament


    CHAPTER X Fourth class continued.--Author enlarges his
    knowledge.--Meeting at Mr. Wilberforce's.--Remarkable junction
    of all the four classes, and a Committee formed out of them, in
    May, 1787, for the Abolition of the Slave Trade.


    CHAPTER XI History of the preceding classes, and of their
    junction, shown by means of a map.


    CHAPTER XII Author endeavours to do away the charge of
    ostentation in consequence of becoming so conspicuous in this
    work.


    CHAPTER XIII Proceedings of the Committee; Emancipation declared
    to be no part of its object.--Wrongs of Africa by Mr. Roscoe.


    CHAPTER XIV Author visits Bristol to collect
    information.--Ill-usage of seamen in the Slave Trade.--Articles
    of African produce.--Massacre at Calabar.


    CHAPTER XV Mode of procuring and paying seamen in that trade;
    their mortality in it.--Construction and admeasurement of
    slave-ships.--Difficulty of procuring evidence.--Cases of
    Gardiner and Arnold.


    CHAPTER XVI Author meets with Alexander Falconbridge; visits
    ill-treated and disabled seamen; takes a mate out of one of the
    slave-vessels, and puts another in prison for murder.


    CHAPTER XVII Visits Liverpool.--Specimens of African
    produce.--Dock duties.--Iron instruments used in the
    traffic.--His introduction to Mr. Norris.


    CHAPTER XVIII Manner of procuring and paying seamen at Liverpool
    in the Slave Trade; their treatment and mortality.--Murder of
    Peter Green.--Dangerous situation of the Author in consequence
    of his inquiries.


    CHAPTER XIX Author proceeds to Manchester; delivers a discourse
    there on the subject of the Slave Trade.--Revisits Bristol; new
    and difficult situation there; suddenly crosses the Severn at
    night.--Returns to London.


    CHAPTER XX Labours of the Committee during the Author's
    journey.--Mr. Sharp elected chairman.--Seal engraved.--Letters
    from different correspondents to the Committee.


    CHAPTER XXI Further labours of the Committee to February,
    1788.--List of new Correspondents.


    CHAPTER XXII Progress of the cause to the middle of
    May.--Petitions to Parliament.--Author's interviews with Mr.
    Pitt and Mr. Grenville.--Privy Council inquire into the subject;
    examine Liverpool delegates.--Proceedings of the Committee for
    the Abolition.--Motion and Debate in the House of Commons;
    discussion of the general question postponed to the next
    Session.


    CHAPTER XXIII Progress to the middle of July.--Bill to diminish
    the horrors of the Middle Passage; Evidence examined against it;
    Debates; Bill passed through both Houses.--Proceedings of the
    Committee, and effects of them.


    CHAPTER XXIV Continuation from June, 1788, to July,
    1789.--Author travels in search of fresh evidence.--Privy
    Council resume their examinations; prepare their
    report.--Proceedings of the Committee for the Abolition; and of
    the Planters and others.--Privy Council report laid on the table
    of the House of Commons; debate upon it.--Twelve
    propositions.--Opponents refuse to argue from the report;
    examine new evidence of their own in the House of
    Commons.--Renewal of the Middle Passage Bill.--Death and
    character of Ramsay.


    CHAPTER XXV Continuation from July, 1789, to July, 1790.--Author
    travels to Paris to promote the abolition in France; his
    proceedings there; returns to England.--Examination of
    opponents' evidence resumed in the Commons.--Author travels in
    quest of new evidence on the side of the Abolition; this, after
    great opposition, introduced.--Renewal of the Middle Passage
    Bill.--Section of the slave-ship.--Cowper's _Negro's
    Complaint_.--Wedgewood's Cameos.


    CHAPTER XXVI Continuation from July, 1790, to July,
    1791.--Author travels again.--Examinations on the side of the
    Abolition resumed in the Commons; list of those examined.--Cruel
    circumstances of the times.--Motion for the Abolition of the
    Trade; debates; motion lost.--Resolutions of the
    Committee.--Sierra Leone Company established.


    CHAPTER XXVII Continuation from July, 1791, to July,
    1792.--Author travels again.--People begin to leave off sugar;
    petition Parliament.--Motion renewed in the Commons; debates;
    abolition resolved upon, but not to commence till 1796.--The
    Lords determine upon hearing evidence on the resolution; this
    evidence introduced; further hearing of it postponed to the next
    Session


    CHAPTER XXVIII Continuation from July, 1792, to July,
    1793.--Author travels again.--Motion to renew the Resolution of
    the last year in the Commons; motion lost.--New motion to
    abolish the foreign Slave Trade; motion lost.--Proceeding of the
    Lords


    CHAPTER XXIX Continuation from July, 1793, to July,
    1794.--Author travels again.--Motion to abolish the foreign
    Slave Trade renewed, and carried; but lost in the Lords; further
    proceedings there.--Author, on account of declining health,
    obliged to retire from the cause


    CHAPTER XXX Continuation from July, 1794, to July,
    1799.--Various motions within this period


    CHAPTER XXXI Continuation from July, 1799, to July,
    1805.--Various motions within this period


    CHAPTER XXXII Continuation from July, 1805, to July,
    1806.--Author, restored, joins the Committee again.--Death of
    Mr. Pitt.--Foreign Slave Trade abolished.--Resolution to take
    measures for the