Question

Explain six factors that led to the decline of the Trans-Atlantic trade

Answer 1

1. The industrial revolution in Britain led to the replacement of human labour with machines which were more efficient.
2. The leading economists were against free labour and argued that free labour was more productive than slave labour.
3. Philanthropist/Christian missionaries strongly campaigned against slave trade thus leading to its decline.
4. America attained political independence and abolished slavery and slave trade leaving this Britain with no colonies where she would take slaves to work
5. The development of legitimate trade with subsequently replaced slave trade.
6. Britain abolished slave trade and influenced other European nations to stop the practice by signing anti-slave trade treaties
7. The French revolution of 1789 impacted negatively on slave trade as the ideas of liberty and equality of all people were spread