To William Wilberforce; Heroes of our past!
Slave trade in Africa was a booming business for the British High ranking officers and some parliament members. Although Slavery is not a new thing when the European Slave Trader came, it dated back to the beginning of time in the Mosaic Era, as far back as 1860 BC.
Sadly, slavery is not abolished totally-presently its in modern form of Trafficking, sex slave, child labor etc. Looking back to those dark days, the total population of this unfortunate slaves soars high.
By Calculations, British ships carried approximately 3.4 Million or over in African slaves to the Americas- Professor David Richardson; Historian.
Thousands of Africans were made slaves every year by the British Empire before the Abolition in the year 1807 the year the slave Trade Act Bill was passed.
Difference in Africa Slavery and European Masters Slave Traders
Rich Africans owns slaves too, but not molested or abused. They have respect but treated with cruelty or Kindness depending on their behaviors. No rewards for their hard labors, but they are fed and clothed courtesy of their masters. The ratio of slaves to the freemen is 3:1- three to one!
The goodwill to this slaves own by African Rich men and monarchs does not extend to slaves captured from war and those bought with money. A slave given birth to in his/her masters house has more freedom than the rest. This brings us to the different from of slavery model in Africa back then, though the African Style is nothing compared to the harsh treatment of the European Slave masters which is the bone of contention together with the general elimination of this appalling inhuman act. Some of the System of Slavery in African culture are:
SACRIFICIAL SLAVES: Human sacrifice still a prominent act then, slaves in this category are kept and bred for this purpose.
WAR SLAVES: slaves acquired and trained in military skills to service their masters need of invasion and bounty hunting.
PAWN/DEBT BONDAGE SLAVES: This are group of people used as collateral for payment of loans and debts. A very common practice in West Africa, former President of Nigeria; General Olusegun Obasanjo was pawned as collateral by his father to build a church!
CHATTEL SLAVES: This form of African Slavery is happens when a slave is considered the property of the owner based on servitude relationships.
DOMESTIC SLAVES: This group of slaves have a little bit of freedom compared to some others, but still works in their masters properties . They get earnings from their hard work and own lands too which their children could inherit when the die. Many more system of African slavery exist but this are the once relevant for this purpose.
EUROPEAN MASTERS
Before William Wilberforce became a Christian and was convinced to join in the fight against slavery in Africa, he was an Active member of Slave Traders with high pedigree as an English Politician, but his latter life made a different the reason for which we are free today!
For 300 years and over, countries in Europe transported African Slaves forcefully across the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal was the fore-frontier in the 1400s to be involved in Transatlantic slave trading. One thousand two-hundred(1,200) slaves were captured over the period of six years by Captain John Hawkins, the first British sailor to venture Slave trading in Africa. This slaves were sold as goods to Portuguese and Spanish- The Grand masters of Slave traders.
In between Captain Hawkins first Slave exploration and 245 years later when slave Trade Abolition was passed, about Ten Thousand(10,000) slave voyages was embarked on. The accurate number of British sailing ships involved in this human trade business remains unknown, but for a fact; Six thousand Seven Hundred(6,700) slaves were taken from Africa each year in the 1660-s by the Brits.
Majorly, their main benefits from this human tradings are: large profits by Ship owners who never embark on any voyage but ends up making huge some of pounds. The merchants also gained from selling and buying this African Slaves, West African Rulers gained too from selling their kinsmen with increase in Weapons, Tea, Cloths etc. Factory owners and large farm owners gained extremely as they have no reason to pay for labor from the captured ones. Banks also made huge profits from interest on loans invested on each successful Voyage, then the ordinary British folks too made enough profits from goods sold to this slave Adventurers which they buy in Bulk and shipped to the Greedy Kings in Africa.
REDEMPTION
The most notable names in the fight to end slavery trading crusade were many, but William stood out. After his conversion to an Evangelical Christian, he devoted his life to the reforming of the British Trading Prowess in Africa.
Hannah Moore, Thomas Clarkson, Charles Middleton and Granville Sharp catalyzed Wilberforce quest, for 20 years the struggle went on till the passage of the Slave Trade Acts of 1807. This led to the Total Abolition Act of Slavery in the year 1833 before he died few years later.
His morality changed after he was educated Religiously on the importance of freedom to humanity irrespective of the Race. He took the quest to end Slavery upon himself partly because of his earlier involvement perhaps, his motives to lead this campaign remains a mystery but was never wary till the end.
