The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America: 1638-1870Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)
History
The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America: 1638-1870
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)
Slave trade -- United States -- History
68. ~Action of the Powers from 1814 to 1820.~ At the Congress of Vienna,
which assembled late in 1814, Castlereagh was indefatigable in his
endeavors to secure the abolition of the trade. France and Spain,
however, refused to yield farther than they had already done, and the
other powers hesitated to go to the lengths he recommended.
Nevertheless, he secured the institution of annual conferences on the
matter, and a declaration by the Congress strongly condemning the trade
and declaring that "the public voice in all civilized countries was
raised to demand its suppression as soon as possible," and that, while
the definitive period of termination would be left to subsequent
negotiation, the sovereigns would not consider their work done until the
trade was entirely suppressed.[19]
In the Treaty of Ghent, between Great Britain and the United States,
ratified February 17, 1815, Article 10, proposed by Great Britain,
declared that, "Whereas the traffic in slaves is irreconcilable with the
principles of humanity and justice," the two countries agreed to use
their best endeavors in abolishing the trade.[20] The final overthrow of
Napoleon was marked by a second declaration of the powers, who,
"desiring to give effect to the measures on which they deliberated at
the Congress of Vienna, relative to the complete and universal
abolition of the Slave Trade, and having, each in their respective
Dominions, prohibited without restriction their Colonies and Subjects
from taking any part whatever in this Traffic, engage to renew
conjointly their efforts, with the view of securing final success to
those principles which they proclaimed in the Declaration of the 4th
February, 1815, and of concerting, without loss of time, through their
Ministers at the Courts of London and of Paris, the most effectual
measures for the entire and definitive abolition of a Commerce so
odious, and so strongly condemned by the laws of religion and of
nature."[21]
Treaties further restricting the trade continued to be made by Great
Britain: Spain abolished the trade north of the equator in 1817,[22] and
promised entire abolition in 1820; Spain, Portugal, and Holland also
granted a mutual limited Right of Search to England, and joined in
establishing mixed courts.[23] The effort, however, to secure a general
declaration of the powers urging, if not compelling, the abolition of
the trade in 1820, as well as the attempt to secure a qualified
international Right of Visit, failed, although both propositions were
strongly urged by England at the Conference of 1818.[24]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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