Transatlantic Slavery
The following is a list of key events in the history of British Transatlantic Slavery was compiled by the wonderful LBS project.
1552
Foundation of Bristol Society of Merchant Venturers
1562
John Hawkins’ slave-trading voyage to Africa and Hispaniola
1607
Founding of Jamestown, Virginia.
1619
First recorded landing of enslaved Africans in Virginia
1623
English landing at St Kitts, established as a colony 1624
1625
Barbados claimed for England
1626
First recorded landing of enslaved Africans in St Kitts
1628
English settlement of Nevis
1632
English settlement of Antigua and Montserrat
1635
French settlement of Martinique and Guadeloupe
1637
Sugar introduced in Barbados
1639
First sitting of House of Assembly in Barbados
1640
Sugar introduced in St Kitts
1646
Sir Thomas Browne’s critique of slavery in Vulgar Errors
1648
French settlement of St Barths
1655
Seizure of Jamaica (ceded formally by Spain 1670)
1659
French settlement of St Domingue
1661-2
‘Navigation Acts’ reconfirmed inter-regnum legislation governing colonial trade
1664
First sitting of Jamaican House of Assembly
1672
Establishment of Royal African Company
1680
Morgan Godwyn’s Negro & Indian Friend
1688
Pennsylvania Quakers publish Germantown Protest against slavery
1698
End of RAC monopoly in slave-trade
1706
Judgement of Lord Chief Justice Sir John Holt that enslaved became free in England
1713
St Kitts ceded (back) to Britain; ‘asiento’ (contract to supply slaves to Spanish colonies) awarded to Britain by Treaty of Utrecht
1729
Sir Philip Yorke’s Opinion contradicting Sir John Holt, upholding slavery
1730
Outbreak of 1st Maroon War in Jamaica between autonomous communities of escaped enslaved and the white settlers, ended only by treaty of 1739
1732
Credit Act made enslaved chattel for payment of debts
1733
Molasses Act
1735-6
Enslaved rising in Antigua
1743
General Rules of Methodist Church prohibit buying and selling of slaves
1750
Company of Merchants Trading to Africa founded
1760
Tacky’s Rebellion in Jamaica
1763
Cession to Great Britain of Grenada, Dominica, St Vincent & Tobago
1765
Granville Sharp begins legal campaign against slavery in Britain in case of Jonathan Strong
1772
Mansfield’s decision in James Somerset[t] case
1774
Publication of John Wesley’s Thoughts on Slavery
1775
First anti-slavery society founded in Philadelphia
1776-1783
American War of Independence
1777
Slavery abolished in Vermont
1778
Final decision in Knight vs Wedderburn provides qualified confirmation slavery has no legal status in Scotland
House of Commons appoints Committee to investigate slave trade
1783
‘Zong’ Case tried
‘Quaker anti-slavery petition to Parliament
1786
Thomas Clarkson’s Essay on slavery publ.
1787
1st Sierra Leone settlement of former enslaved
London Committee for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave-trade formed.
Ottobah Cugoano’s Thoughts & Sentiments published
1788
Privy Council Inquiry into the slave trade
Dolben’s Act regulating slave trade
1789
Report of Privy Council Inquiry published
Committee of the Whole on the slave trade in Commons
Publication of Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative
1789-1799
The French Revolution
1790
Wilberforce’s first motion on slave trade in Commons
Commons Select Committee on the Slave Trade
1791
St Domingue revolution begins (August)
Wilberforce’s motion on prohibition of slave trade to BWI defeated 88-163 in Commons April 21 1791.
1792
1792 (cont.)
Denmark initiates abolition of its slave trade
Sierra Leone established as private company
Wilberforce’s motion (amended by Dundas) ‘That the slave trade ought to be gradually abolished’, passed 230-85 (April) in Commons.
Commons passes 151-132 a bill to abolish the slave trade as of January 1 1796 (sent to Lords May 3). HofL Inquiry established
1793
War with France (February). Defeat of motion that the Commons go into Committee of Whole on slave trade and on a bill to prohibit trade with foreign territories. HofL votes to delay consideration of slave trade until next session.
1794
France abolishes slavery in its colonies (reversed 1802).
US Congress forbids use of US vessels in slave-trade
Wilberforce’s bill to prohibit slave trade to foreign territories passes in Commons, defeated in HofL.
1795
2nd Maroon War in Jamaica
Carib War in St Vincent
Fedon’s Rebellion in Grenada 1795-7
Consideration of Wilberforce’s annual bill postponed by 17 votes in Commons
1796
British capture from Dutch of Essequibo, Demerara & Berbice (1831=British Guiana)
Loss of abolition motion 74-70 in Commons
1797
Surrender of Trinidad to British fleet
Cape (seized 1795) becomes British colony until 1803
Loss of abolition motion by 8 votes in Commons
1798
Abolition motion fails 83-87 in Commons. Bill to prohibit slave trade on 1000 miles of African coast passes Commons 59-23, fails 63-68 in HoL
1799
Abolition motion fails 54-84 in Commons, bill restricting slave-trade on African Coast passes Commons 59-23, lost in HoL 25-32.
Slave Transportation Act further regulates conduct of slave trade.
Gradual Emancipation of slaves in New York State
1802
Return of Essequibo etc. to Dutch (retaken by Britain 1803).
Opening of West India Docks
1804
Republic of Haiti declared
Abolition motion passed Commons 69-33, postponed by HoL to next session
1805
Abolition motion defeated in Commons (March)
Order-in-council prohibiting importation of slaves into colonies captured since 1802 (August)
1806
Cape Colony re-established by Britain
Abolition of the slave trade to foreign colonies; approval in both houses of a resolution by Charles James Fox for ultimate abolition of the slave trade; limiting of African slave trade to those ships already engaged in it
1807
US ban slave-trade as from 1808
Abolition of the slave trade to British colonies, by a bill introduced by Grenville into HoL, and then passed by Commons 283-16
1808
Formation of British West Africa Squadron
1810
Capture of Mauritius from France (confirmed by Treaty of Paris 1814)
1814
St Lucia ceded to Britain; Essequibo etc. ceded to Britain
Congress of Vienna, raising prospect of resumption of French slave trade
Mass petitioning and parliamentary campaign against restoration of the slave trade
1816
Bussa’s Rebellion in Barbados
1816-19
Establishment of Slave Registers following Trinidad (1813) and St Lucia (1815), Slave Registration Act (1817)
1817
Spain agrees with Britain to end slave-trade north of equator immediately and south of the equator by 1820
1823
Demerara Revolt
Motion by T.F. Buxton discarded in favour of ‘Canning’s Resolutions’, ameliorationist statements of intent towards ultimate emancipation
Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Dominions (‘the Anti-Slavery Society’) founded in London
1824
Death of John Smith in prison in Demerara
Elizabeth Heyrick’s Immediate not gradual abolition published
1825
Mauritius sugar admitted to Britain at WI preferential rate
Launch of Antislavery Monthly Reporter
1831
‘Baptist War’ in Jamaica breaks out (December)
Formation of Agency Committee within Anti-slavery Society
History of Mary Prince published.
1832
Select Committee of Commons on Extinction of Slavery; HoL Committee on the Condition & Treatment of Colonial Slaves
1833
Abolition Act
1834
Apprenticeship begins
1836
Commons Select Committee on Apprenticeship
1838
Apprenticeship ends: emancipation of the enslaved in most of the British colonies
1839
‘Hill coolie’ controversy over indentured labour in British Guiana and Mauritius
Commons passes bill suspending constitution of Jamaica
Formation of British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society
1843
Delegalization of slavery in India
Resumption of shipments of indentured labourers to Mauritius
1846
Equalization of Sugar Duties begins
1848
Abolition of French colonial slavery
1865
Morant Bay Rising in Jamaica
1866
Jamaican House of Assembly replaced by Legislative Council and Crown Colony status