Ending the slave trade:
The transatlantic slave trade, which brought millions of Africans to the Americas as slaves, was a major component of the Atlantic world economy for over three centuries. The movement to end the slave trade began in the late 18th century, and was driven by a variety of factors, including:
- The growth of the abolitionist movement, which argued that slavery was morally wrong and should be abolished.
- The increasing economic cost of the slave trade, due to factors such as the rising cost of slaves and the increasing risk of slave revolts.
- The growing power of European nations, who began to see the slave trade as a threat to their own interests.
In 1807, the British Parliament passed the Abolition Act, which abolished the British slave trade. This was followed by similar laws in other European countries, and by 1808, the transatlantic slave trade had been largely ended.
Slavery in the US:
Slavery was a deeply ingrained institution in the United States, particularly in the Southern states, where it was essential to the plantation economy. The movement to abolish slavery in the US began in the early 19th century, and was also driven by a variety of factors, including:
- The growing strength of the abolitionist movement, which argued that slavery was morally wrong and should be abolished.
- The increasing economic competition between the North and the South, as the Northern states began to industrialize and the Southern states continued to rely on slave labor.
- The growing political power of the Republican Party, which was opposed to the expansion of slavery into new territories.
The abolition of slavery in the US was ultimately achieved through the American Civil War (1861-1865), which was fought between the Union (Northern states) and the Confederacy (Southern states). The Union victory led to the passage of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery throughout the country.