The British only Abolished ‘Slave Trade’ not ‘Slavery’

Members of the British House of Commons in 1807 knew what they were doing when they abolished the slave trade. Majority of them never wanted slavery to come to an end.

However, they knew that people were becoming more resistant. It is possible that they also wanted to write their name in the good books. Thus the decision to appear to stand against slavery, whereas they knew what they were doing all along.

While slavery referred to the practice or system of owning slaves, there is no doubt that members of the House of Commons who were masters of the English Language knew the difference.

The House of Commons of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled in the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. 

In 1807 the British House of Commons made the slave trade illegal. Slavery remained very much legal, according to British law. The law meant that families who owned slaves could continue using the slaves and could them out as a gift.

It is not news that despite the abolition of the slave trade, the trade continues into the 21st Century.

Contrary to what Africans were made to believe, British Laws only officially recognized the abolition of slavery in 1865 after the Emancipation Proclamation that finally freed the American slaves.

The trick was the reason many slave traders did not face prosecution for owning slaves even after the 1807 declaration.

The transatlantic slave trade began in the 15th Century after the Portuguese started exploring the coast of West Africa.

in 1650 following the development of plantations on the newly colonized Caribbean islands and American mainland, many Africans were captured .

The transatlantic slave trade began during the 15th Century when Portugal, and subsequently other European kingdoms were finally able to expand overseas and reach Africa.

The Portuguese first began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and  took them to Europe.

The question now remain as, “has slavery been abolished or was the concept just modified?”

What are your thoughts?

Header Image Credit: The Times