Edited by David Ryden

Economic Challenges: British West Indian planters faced rising slave prices, higher provisioning costs, and warfare on the high seas, making sugar planting increasingly costly.

Political and Social Threats: Planters were anxious about slave uprisings and the anti-slave trade movement, which threatened their industry.

Pro-Slavery Arguments: Pro-slavery writers defended the slave trade using arguments based on mercantilism, imperialism, and humanitarianism, emphasizing national wealth and security.

References: The document includes various pamphlets and reports defending the slave trade, providing insight into 18th-century attitudes toward race, work, and power.

London Pickering & Chatto, 2003, 428 pages

Edited by John Oldfield

British Dominance and Abolition: The British were the leading nation in the transatlantic slave trade during the 18th century but also spearheaded the abolition movement.

Economic vs. Moral Debate: Historians debate whether the abolition was driven by economic decline in the British Caribbean or by moral and humanitarian reasons.

Abolitionist Campaigns: The Society for Effecting the Abolition of theSlave Trade, formed in 1787, played a crucial role in mobilizing public opinion through petitions, pamphlets, and international cooperation.

Impact of the American Revolution: The American Revolution influenced British abolitionist thought, linking political representation and freedom with the fight against slavery.

London Pickering & Chatto, 2003, 373 pages

Edited by Kenneth Morgan

Royal African Company: Established in 1672, it played a significant role in the British transatlantic slave trade, supplying slaves from Africa to the Americas, especially the British Caribbean

Challenges and Decline: The company faced financial pressures, competition from private traders, and difficulties in maintaining its forts and settlements in West Africa, leading to its decline.

Historical Context: The document provides detailed accounts of the company's operations, financial struggles, and the broader context of the British involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

References: The document includes multiple historical texts and references related to the Royal African Company and the British slave trade.

London Pickering & Chatto, 2003, 345 pages