´óÏó´«Ã½

The Slave trade was abolished in 1807, it then took another 27 years to get slavery itself abolished. The process of abolishing slavery was a gradual process. After the Jamaican slave strike in 1831 people realised about the conditions and how they could never be improved without abolishing it. In 1833 slavery was finally abolished.

Granville Sharp was a white middle class campaigner. He was the founder and saviour of Jonathon Strong, they met when one day in 1765 when Granville left his house he noticed a black youth. His Name was Jonathon Strong, he was seeking medical treatment as he was suffering severe injuries all over his body due to being beaten by his current master. He had managed to escape but wondered if his master would ever find him. Two years after they had met Strong was working as a messenger and was living a reasonably good life, until, one day when he was doing his rounds his old master noticed him. He snatched him away and sold him. He was shipped off back to Jamaica as a slave again. But it was taken to court where Granville Sharp defended Strong in the case. The Lord Mayor declared 'The lad has not stolen anything, and is therefore at liberty to go away'. Granville did not manage to abolish slavery, but started a campaign.

William Wilberforce was a Quaker, he was the best known of them all. He was a MP and made a number of speeches against slave trade in parliament. Thomas Clarkson was another well known member of The Quakers, he gathers information about the terrible conditions on the slave ships. He used this and made petitions to present to parliament. Over and over again the campaigners tried to get the parliament to abolish slave trade and in 1807 they were successful.

Petitions began to flood the parliament in 1788 to abolish slave trade, in 1807 it was but the campaigners did not stop, they set out to make slavery itself abolished. Over one and half million people signed these petitions but it took another 27 years to make slavery illegal. In 1792 support grew, 20,000 people in Manchester signed another petition and the population was 75,000.

Slaves were still being brought to Britain as there was no law saying it was legal or illegal. When cases were bought to Britain, fighting for freedom, but every time the judge would declare something different.
Oladah Equino was ten years old when was taken from Africa to Barbados as a slave. He travelled widely as he was a servant to a ships captain. Whilst staying in London he became a Christian and learned to read. He hoped strongly that he would be made free but against his will his master took him to America and sold him.
Once he bought his freedom he returned to England where he married Susan Cullen from Ely. He wrote the story of his life but died jus eight years later. His book was read widely and made many people change their mind about slavery. He worked closely with other Abolitionists like Granville Sharp. It was Olaudah who bought the slave ship Zong to the publics attention.

The ideals of equality and liberty which were being the French revolution in 1789 also took root in the island of St. Dominique , a French colony in the West Indies.
The Plantation owners disagreed with the ideals. To avoid another revolution they planned alliance with Britain. slaves knew this would mean that slavery would continue. Death rate among the slaves were extremely high because of dreadful treatment they were receiving.
Slaves rebelled, they murdered white plantation owners and set fire to the sugar cane fields. British troops tried to take control but failed. The slaves were brilliantly led by Touussaint L'ouverture. When slavery was abolished the island declared itself dependant with a new name Haiti. I personally think that all the factors are important and therefore all had a part to with the abolishment of slave trade and slavery.