Amina Hasan Key assessment 2

How Significant Was Slave Trade in the Growth of the British Empire in the Years c.1680-1763? In this essay, I will go on to explore reason as to why the British Empire dominated in its trade in the years c.1680-1763. The most common argument is that the slave trade leads to the success of the British Empire, because it contributed to the growth of other revenues such as pottery and textiles. This growth allowed Britain to flourish because employment was increasing; this meant that people could spend money on healthcare and education. This meant that young people could become fitter and stronger, while being educated to a better standard than their parents. Young people could then find better methods and technology to making the economy grow. However, many people still argue that although the slave trade did in fact have a significant role in the growth of the British Empire you have to consider other factors such as: the navy, government and commence helped the British empire flourish to a certain standard. The slave trade really did help Britain to become more powerful and expand. However, for well over 300 years, European countries forced Africans onto slave ships and transported them across the Atlantic Ocean. The scramble for Africa began for Britain in 1640s, when they discovered tea in the West Indies. This meant that Britain had to look for means of producing mass tea for British society because at the time coffee houses and tea parties were becoming common in the upper class society due to the new plants found in the West Indies. This meant that Britain had to produce masses amount of tea and sugar, however the lower class British werent willing to work long agonizing hours for little pay. Thus, Britain saw an opportunity arise and they soon followed their European counterparts to transport slaves from Africa to work on plantation. They only had to exchange brass platters for slaves. This helped Britain expand because the pottery industry increased its profits in Britain thus having more people contributing to taxes and also working. Evidence of this so called pottery boom can be found when the pottery industry increased workers from 500 in 1750 to 15001 in 1785. Moreover, Britain took part in what was called a triangular trade, this worked out in Britains benefit because not only would they be getting profit from the slaves transported to the Atlantic they would also gain tea and sugar which they could sell to the British public for a lot of money. Also it meant that the new world formed containing Britain and other European countries trade with the Atlantic. The slave trade meant that tea had become the central pillar of British society. This meant that Britain saw a boom of other materials such as tablecloths and tea sets from the British east India Company. This meant that the British government could invest in stuff like the bank of England which would keep competition away at arms length by investment in the navy and money for war. The slave trade was mainly involved in two key aspects: the growth of the Sea trade and maintenance of existing settlements. Even though slavery was considered of great importance, there were other key factors involved with the expansion of the British Empire .Trading companies traded slaves and goods produced by slaves. The tax collected helped to fund the navy which protected trade and played an important role in war. So along with the trading companies; the Government; Royal Navy and War were all factors that played an important part in the growth of the empire. Trade was one of the main key factors that allowed the British Empire to increase and grow steadily. 2 This trading routine was the beginning of the Empire and from all the joint stock companies formed, Britain allowed its Empire to grow in profits and increase in size. The slave trade played a major role in the growth of seaborne commerce mainly across the Atlantic seas. The use of slavery helped the British a vast amount by bringing in increased profits and goods that were on demand such as
1 2

Kenneth Morgan Symbiosis: trade and the British Empire at http:/www.bbc.co.uk/history James walvin, Britains slave empire (tempus, 20000, p.21

Amina Hasan Key assessment 2

cotton, tobacco and sugar. There was a triangular trade where a three point voyage took place. This helped Britain gain prosperity and wealth and also a monopoly on the Atlantic. By 1720,they had transported 100,000 Africans, exported 1.5 million worth of goods and imported 30,000 Tons of sugar.1 the growth of the British Empire was focused on seaborne trade. Therefore, they concentrated on the Atlantic trade. Britain would trade goods with African colonies Moreover, the British Empire in 1680-1763 was the largest and most naval country. This was due to the government funding for naval ships and wars coming from the British government. The British in 1698 pledged alliance with the Dutch in exchange for little information regarding their banking. Thus in 1702 the bank of England was born. Moreover, some would argue that due to the governments new found way of banking, Britain was funded to have wars and build more naval ships thus making it the most powerful empire. They could argue that this allowed more trading and methods of trading to develop such as joint stock companies and British east India Company. Also the navigation acts allowed the government and companies to gain maximum profit from trading. Theses navigation acts along with consented British monopoly in Africa and India made Britain powerful and really unstoppable in its conquest for world domination. Another factor to consider while weighing up whether the slave trade was the most important factor that lead to the flourishing of the British empire could the fact that Britain was a strong naval country because it had it navigation acts in place. It also meant that Britain could go to war against the likes of France and Spain. The British navy played an important role in the war of Spanish succession. The navy forced France to retreat from sea and gained supremacy of the Mediterranean which was the most powerful part of Europe. By winning the naval war it meant had defect its trading enemies France and Spain and also gained land and territory in Canada and Caribbean. This meant that Britain had become much more powerful than its European counterparts. From the historian Peter marsh points out 3for early eighteenth century opinion Britain was very much a matter of seaborne and naval power Thus suggesting that it was naval power which had been the source of growth for the British Empire without this naval power Britain wouldnt have been able to venture out in trade and commerce. In conclusion I believe to certain extent that all factors contributed to the growth of the British Empire, however not in equal balance. I think by far that the slave trade contributed more to Britain than the government. This is because slavery opened up various areas of British life that up until that point had been left unexplored and uncovered, for example it gave women political power, due to their shunning of tea to stop the exploitation of slave workers. It also shaped British life as we know it now with tea and sugar trade allowing people to become richer and thus buy m ore textiles from India, which changed British fashion forever. I think that the slave trade contributed to every aspect of British life. The least strong argument is that only trade allowed Britain to expand. This s considered the weakest argument b because: trade really only began in Britain in the 18th century after the monopoly on India. Thus this suggest that trade is a factor however it has to be supported by other factors thus making it weak o its own. Amina Hasan

1.peter

j Marshall eighteenth-century Britain and its empire; the historian, December,2000

Amina Hasan Key assessment 2

Referencing : African History: a Very Short Introduction by John Parker and Richard Rathbone (Oxford, 2007) Staying Power - The History of Black People in Britain by Peter Fryer (Pluto Press, ISBN:0 86104 749 4) Britain's Slave Trade by S.I. Martin (Channel 4 Books (Macmillan)) The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, The African (London 1789) The Horrors of Slavery by Robert Wedderburn (London 1824) Black & Asian Association Newsletter BASA, c/o ICS, 28 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DS

Amina Hasan Key assessment 2

Plan: Introduction -Briefly introduce slave trade -Set up your argument -Introduce other factors Main: Why slave trade was the most important factor Other factors such as navy, government, other trading.

Conclusion: Weakest and strongest argument

Amina Hasan Key assessment 2