Название: Britain's War Against the Slave Trade: The Operations of the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron 1807–1867
Автор: Anthony Sullivan
Издательство: Frontline Books
Год: 2020
Страниц: 400
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf, mobi, epub
Размер: 10.1 MB

Long before recorded history, men, women and children had been seized by conquering tribes and nations to be employed or traded as slaves. Greeks, Romans, Vikings and Arabs were among the earliest of many peoples involved in the slave trade, and across Africa the buying and selling of slaves was widespread. There was, at the time, nothing unusual in Britain’s somewhat belated entry into the slave trade, transporting natives from Africa’s west coast to the plantations of the New World. What was unusual was Britain’s decision, in 1807, to ban the slave trade throughout the British Empire.

Britain later persuaded other countries to follow suit, but this did not stop this lucrative business. So the Royal Navy went to war against the slavers, in due course establishing the West Africa Squadron which was based at Freetown in Sierra Leone. This force grew throughout the nineteenth century until a sixth of the Royal Navy’s ships and marines was employed in the battle against the slave trade. Between 1808 and 1860, the West Africa Squadron captured 1,600 slave ships and freed 150,000 Africans.

The slavers tried every tactic to evade the Royal Navy enforcers. Over the years that followed more than 1,500 naval personnel died of disease or were killed in action, in what was difficult and dangerous, and at times saddening, work.

In Britain’s War Against the Slave Trade, naval historian Anthony Sullivan reveals the story behind this little-known campaign by Britain to end the slave trade. Whereas Britain is usually, and justifiably, condemned for its earlier involvement in the slave trade, the truth is that in time the Royal Navy undertook a major and expensive operation to end what was, and is, an evil business.

Contents:

Prologue
Chapter 1 Slavers and Abolitionists
Chapter 2 Early Operations: November 1807–November 1814
Chapter 3 Hagan Versus the Slavers: December 1814–December 1819
Chapter 4 The American Squadron: January 1820–February 1822
Chapter 5 The Equipment Clause: February 1822–December 1824
Chapter 6 Captain Owen’s Island: January 1825–June 1827
Chapter 7 The Black Joke : June 1827–December 1829
Chapter 8 The Brazilian Trade: January 1830–November 1831
Chapter 9 Commands Combined: December 1831–September 1834
Chapter 10 The Spanish Equipment Clause: September 1834–December 1836
Chapter 11 The Fever Coast: January 1837–December 1838
Chapter 12 The American Slavers: January 1839–December 1839
Chapter 13 Attacking the Source: January 1840–December 1841
Chapter 14 Treaties and Palavers: January 1842–December 1843
Chapter 15 The End of the Trade: 1844–1867
Appendix I: Chronology of the Suppression Campaign
Appendix II: Commanders-in-Chief Appointed to the West Coast of Africa
Further Reading
Notes
Bibliography
Index