What was the importance of religion in ending the slave trade

1544 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Positive impact of the slave trade

This assignment will discuss the importance of religion in ending the British colonial slave trade and slavery. As this assignment focuses on Britain’s slave trade and slavery, the words ‘slave trade’ and ‘slavery’ will refer to Britain’s slave trade and slavery. Primary and secondary sources will provide evidence that the role of religion was highly influential in the ending the slave trade and slavery. Religion was an important and influential factor that provided the backbone to the abolition of the slave trade and emancipation of slaves within the British Empire. However, other factors and influences proved to have greater importance in the abolition of the slave trade and slavery. These other factors and influences will be discussed and used to show what brought about the abolition of the slave trade on 25th March 1807 (Book 4, p.85) and emancipation of slaves on 1st August 1834 (book 4, p.117) . These other factors will show the role they played in the abolition of the slave trade and slavery. They will also discuss whether religion aided the cause for the abolition of slave trading and slavery. The assignment will be split into two sections; the first section will be on the slave trade and the second section on slavery.

Politics undoubtedly helped and played an important role in bring about the outlawing of the slave trade in Britain. The reason politics played such a key role in bring about the end of the slave trade is the power of the government to impose laws on the state of Britain. The ‘Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade’ passed by parliament on 25th March 1807 (Book 4, p.85) this brought about the end of the slave trade. The Act banned the trading of slaves within British Colonies. Religion can be seen to...

... middle of paper ...

...usion, it is evident religion provided the backbone for the grounds of abolition of the slave trade and slavery. The influence and power religious ideal had on the British people shows by the petitions and signatures calling on a person’s faith and belief to call for the end of the slave trade and slavery. Yet the most important factors in the ending of the slave trade and slavery was politics and petitions. Without the ‘Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade’, ‘Reform Act’ and ‘Emancipation Act’ or the British public petitions and collecting signatures to lobby parliament it is unclear how much longer the slave trade or slavery would have continued. What is clear though is that all these factors played a part in the ending of the slave trade and slavery in colonial Britain and religions importance although not the biggest deciding factor was highly influential.

Show More
Related

  • Paul Finkelman Defending Slavery Summary

    1545 Words  | 4 Pages

    Paul Finkelman takes on the role of devil’s advocate in his book “Defending Slavery”. Within the first section of the book, Finkelman explains the background of slavery both in America and around the world, past, post-American Revolution, and around the world. He then goes on to explain the revelations which prompted the South to develop a course of action to defend slavery. In detail and chronological order, he describes the various means of defense used by those in favor of slavery in America. Their justifications for slavery and resistance against its abolishment were rooted in religion, politics, economics and other aspects that drive society.

    Read More

  • The Use Of Slavery In Harriet Jacobs Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl?

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, personal accounts that detail the ins-and-outs of the system of slavery show readers truly how monstrous and oppressive slavery is. Families are torn apart, lives are ruined, and slaves are tortured both physically and mentally. The white slaveholders of the South manipulate and take advantage of their slaves on every possible occasion. Nothing is left untouched by the gnarled claws of slavery; even God and religion become tainted. As Jacobs’ account reveals, whites control the religious institutions of the South, and in doing so, forge religion as a tool used to perpetuate slavery, the very system it ought to condemn.

    Read More

  • The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

    1352 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bolt, C. (2007, July). The Slave Trade and the Unholy Triangle. Retrieved February 19, 2014, from bwa-baptist-heritage: http://www.bwa-baptist-heritage.org/gha_sl_cb.htm

    Read More

  • Religion's Influence on the Slavery Debates

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    Slavery was a dominant part of the political and social arenas of 1800’s America. However, it was not homogenous as it divided America into two distinct groups: those who supported it and those who did not. Traditionally, the states in the north had been anti-slavery while the states in the south had been pro-slavery. Southern life and economy depended on slavery and therefore staunchly supported the continued legal status of slavery. The northern states on the other hand recognized the inhumane nature of slavery and campaigned to establish equality for all citizens. In order to establish solid reasoning for their stance, both pro-slave and anti-slave groups turned to theological inspiration for their actions. The Bible inspired both pro-slavery advocates and anti-slavery abolitionists alike. Religion was used in order to justify slavery and also to condemn it.

    Read More

  • Triangular trade

    346 Words  | 1 Pages

    Slaves and slave trade has been an important part of history for a very long time. In the years of the British thirteen colonies in North America, slaves and slave trade was a very important part of its development. It even carried on to almost 200 years of the United States history. The slave trade of the thirteen colonies was an important part of the colonies as well as Europe and Africa. In order to supply the thirteen colonies efficiently through trade, Europe developed the method of triangular trade. It is referred to as triangular trade because it consists of trade with Africa, the thirteen colonies, and England. These three areas are commonly called the trades “three legs.”

    Read More

  • Impact of Transatlantic Slave Trade on Enslaved Africans

    338 Words  | 1 Pages

    The transatlantic slave trade has had a devastating impact on enslaved Africans in many ways, with insistent and longer lasting effects and some more instant and shorter effects. This essay will examine both of these and some of the significant effects that they have had on Africans both short term and long term.

    Read More

  • African American Autobiographies and Slave Narratives

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through his discussions of religion that are interspersed throughout The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the reader gets the sense that slavery and true Christianity are opposing forces and one cannot be present while the other exists. Not only is the simultaneous existence of the true version Christianity with slavery impossible, it appears that even if real Christianity does exist in a pure form, the introduction of slavery corrupts it inevitably and completely.

    Read More

  • Regional Variations in Defining Race: American Slavery History

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    Slaves could not create strong and meaningful relations—degrading them as human beings. Religion was something questioned by the slave holders because the stigma of religion bolstering a craving for freedom loomed over the owners heads. Lastly, the painfully slow death of slavery in the northern region truly dealt with the “high mortality, low fertility, the close of the transatlantic slave trade, and the southward exportation of slaves for profit”, rather than a humane mentality. Ira Berlin’s thesis is extremely valid due to the eventual differentiation amongst the varying regions within the growing America. Prior to the plantation regime, racism did not truly exist, nor did race have a major part within society. As time went on, the creation of racism and race engulfed the southern region—creating a major gap between North and South. All of the sources used within this research bolster the credibility of Berlin’s thesis and argument, leading there to be no alteration requests or

    Read More

  • Slavery in American Society: Impact and Evolution

    1631 Words  | 4 Pages

    The controversies surrounding slavery have been established in many societies worldwide for centuries. In past generations, although slavery did exists and was tolerated, it was certainly very questionable,” ethically“. Today, the morality of such an act would not only be unimaginable, but would also be morally wrong. As things change over the course of history we seek to not only explain why things happen, but as well to understand why they do. For this reason, we will look further into how slavery has evolved throughout History in American society, as well as the impacts that it has had.

    Read More

  • How Revolutionary Was The American Revolution?

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Revolution was a “light at the end of the tunnel” for slaves, or at least some. African Americans played a huge part in the war for both sides. Lord Dunmore, a governor of Virginia, promised freedom to any slave that enlisted into the British army. Colonists’ previously denied enlistment to African American’s because of the response of the South, but hesitantly changed their minds in fear of slaves rebelling against them. The north had become to despise slavery and wanted it gone. On the contrary, the booming cash crops of the south were making huge profits for landowners, making slavery widely popular. After the war, slaves began to petition the government for their freedom using the ideas of the Declaration of Independence,” including the idea of natural rights and the notion that government rested on the consent of the governed.” (Keene 122). The north began to fr...

    Read More

  • Civil War Social Class

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The decision to import large numbers of African slaves in the1600s has been attributed, in part, to Southern land owners’ fear of the power of a growing, dissatisfied white landless laboring class, the “giddy multitude.” The subsequent American revolution had a significant class conflict component, and the 1987 Constitution is often portrayed as a reaction against the gains made by the working classes after the revolution(Forward). Some of the values that still persist today in southern culture would be religion. Religion helped inspire slavery rebellion as well as advancing the cause of slavery. Some things that also inspired religion was the “South of slavery”, Civil War, poverty, racial discrimination, economic exploitation, ill health, and illiteracy surely needed that crucial support. Also the South went though some slow and agonizing processes of modernizing, religion provided justification for the wealthy to profit from economic development, however, it also gave meaning to those bearing the burdens of economic change without proper recompense. Throughout these significant changes, religious organizations remained central institutions of southern life and wealth was very unequally

    Read More

  • Slavery as the Cause of the American Civil War

    1746 Words  | 4 Pages

    Slavery was the core of the North and South’s conflict. Slavery has existed in the New World since the seventeenth century prior to it being exclusive to race. During those times there were few social and political concerns about slavery. Initially, slaves were considered indentured servants who will eventually be set free after paying their debt(s) to the owner. In some cases, the owners were African with white servants. However, over time the slavery became exclusive to Africans and was no limited to a specific timeframe, but life. In addition, the treatment of slaves worsens from the Atlantic Slave trade to th...

    Read More

  • Perspectives on Slavery: A Historical Analysis

    1544 Words  | 4 Pages

    Slavery is something that has been going on in our society for many centuries. Notably, “The Atlantic slave trade was an enormous enterprise and enormously significant in modern world history” (Strayer, 1142). We may look at this in present day as a horrific thing, although many of our ancestors thought of it as an essential part of society. There are many different views that have been provided throughout history of slave trade. I am going to share two views from our textbook; one from an autobiography of the hardships a former slave went through, and the other is a letter from a king whose kingdom is suffering from the result of slave trade. I am going to discuss both of these views and certain aspects each contain, and then I am going to

    Read More

  • Slavery and Abolition

    1581 Words  | 4 Pages

    The term slave is defined as a person held in servitude as the chattel of another, or one that is completely passive to a dominating influence. The most well known cases of slavery occurred during the settling of the United States of America. From 1619 until July 1st 1928 slavery was allowed within our country. Slavery abolitionists attempted to end slavery, which at some point; they were successful at doing so. This paper will take the reader a lot of different directions, it will look at slavery in a legal aspect along the lines of the constitution and the thirteenth amendment, and it will also discuss how abolitionists tried to end slavery. This paper will also discuss how slaves were being taken away from their families and how their lives were affected after.

    Read More

  • Why Was Slavery and the Slave Trade Abolished?

    413 Words  | 1 Pages

    In 1807, the slave trade was abolished by the British Parliament. It became illegal to buy and sell slaves, but people could still own them. In 1833 Parliament finally abolished slavery itself, both in Britain and throughout the British Empire. Why, when the slave trade and the plantations in the West Indies seemed to be making so much money, were they abolished? It was due to a mixture of white campaigners, slaves and economics of the slave trade which finally brought slavery to an end.

    Read More

More about What was the importance of religion in ending the slave trade

Open Document