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
15. ~General Character of these Restrictions.~ The main difference in
motive between the restrictions which the planting and the farming
colonies put on the African slave-trade, lay in the fact that the former
limited it mainly from fear of insurrection, the latter mainly because
it did not pay. Naturally, the latter motive worked itself out with much
less legislation than the former; for this reason, and because they held
a smaller number of slaves, most of these colonies have fewer actual
statutes than the Southern colonies. In Pennsylvania alone did this
general economic revolt against the trade acquire a distinct moral
tinge. Although even here the institution was naturally doomed, yet the
clear moral insight of the Quakers checked the trade much earlier than
would otherwise have happened. We may say, then, that the farming
colonies checked the slave-trade primarily from economic motives.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Smith, _Generall Historie of Virginia_ (1626 and 1632), p. 126.
[2] Cf. Southey, _History of Brazil_.
[3] De Laet, in O'Callaghan, _Voyages of the Slavers_, etc., p. viii.
[4] See, e.g., Sainsbury, _Cal. State Papers; Col. Ser.,
America and W. Indies, 1574-1660_, p. 279.
[5] Cf. below, pp. 27, 32, notes; also _Freedoms_, XXX., in
O'Callaghan, _Laws of New Netherland, 1638-74_ (ed. 1868), p.
10; Brodhead, _History of New York_, I. 312.
[6] The following is a summary of the legislation of the
colony of New York; details will be found in Appendix A:--
1709, Duty Act: L3 on Negroes not direct from Africa
(Continued by the Acts of 1710, 1711).
1711, Bill to lay further duty, lost in Council.
1716, Duty Act: 5 oz. plate on Africans in colony ships.
10 oz. plate on Africans in other ships.
1728, " " 40_s._ on Africans, L4 on colonial Negroes.
1732, " " 40_s._ on Africans, L4 on colonial Negroes.
1734, " " (?)
1753, " " 40_s._ on Africans, L4 on colonial Negroes.
(This act was annually continued.)
[1777, Vermont Constitution does not recognize slavery.]
1785, Sale of slaves in State prohibited.
[1786, " " in Vermont prohibited.]
1788, " " in State prohibited.
[7] O'Callaghan, _Laws of New Netherland, 1638-74_, pp. 31,
348, etc. The colonists themselves were encouraged to trade,
but the terms were not favorable enough: _Doc. rel. Col. Hist.
New York_, I. 246; _Laws of New Netherland_, pp. 81-2, note,
127. The colonists declared "that they are inclined to a
foreign Trade, and especially to the Coast of _Africa_, ... in
order to fetch thence Slaves": O'Callaghan, _Voyages of the
Slavers_, etc., p. 172.
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