The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America / 1638-1870

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

17700

Title

The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America / 1638-1870

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

W.E.B. Du Bois presents a rigorous historical analysis of the United States' efforts to suppress the African slave trade from colonial times through the Civil War era, examining legislative struggles and economic realities.

Summary up to 500 words

In *The Suppression of the African Slave-Trade to the United States of America* (1638–1870), W. E. B. Du Bois presents a rigorous, scientific examination of the economic and political forces that sustained slavery in the American colonies despite legislative efforts to end it. The work begins by establishing that the slave trade was not merely a moral failing but an economic necessity for British colonial interests. England initially encouraged the trade through charters and monopolies before attempting suppression, only to find its own laws undermined by the demands of planters and merchants. Du Bois categorizes the colonies into three distinct groups: the Planting Colonies (Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina), the Farming Colonies (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey), and the Trading Colonies (New England). He analyzes how each group developed unique attitudes toward importation, with Southern states often passing restrictive laws that were frequently repealed or ignored when economic pressure mounted. A central theme is the legislative struggle within Congress, particularly during the Constitutional Convention debates of 1787, where federal authority over the trade was compromised to secure Southern ratification. The narrative follows the passage of the Act of 1807, which prohibited further importation, and details the subsequent decades of evasion, smuggling, and interstate trafficking. Du Bois critically evaluates the enforcement mechanisms, highlighting the apathy of the federal government and the intense pressure from Southern states to reopen the trade due to cotton expansion. He argues that while moral movements and international treaties with Great Britain existed, economic interests consistently undermined effective enforcement. The work culminates in an examination of the international dimensions of abolition and the final crisis leading up to the Civil War, where suppression laws faced their most notorious infractions. Throughout, Du Bois contends that the persistence of slavery was not due to a lack of political will or moral sentiment alone, but because economic imperatives consistently overrode legal prohibitions. This monograph stands as a vital study of how profit motives sustained an institution that contradicted American principles, making it essential for understanding the roots of the Civil War and the enduring legacy of slavery in America.

LLM editorial rating

4.5/5

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Categories

• History