h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Slave Trade: Liverpool's Fortune - A2354140
Author: Frenchbean - awarded the Hootoo <star> by that lovely Recumbantman - U236943

This one's as a result of Challenge h2g2. Unbelievable that there was nothing on the slave trade.

I grew up by Liverpool, so this stuff is old news to me. But new news to a lot of others I guess. And important stuff to be reminded of.

Trouble is, it's still going on.

Peer away please.

Also, if anybody is inspired by this to write on other aspects of the slave trade, please do so.

Frenchbean

Oh, that's interesting, Fb. I've jsut begun an entry on the bloke who started the slave trade: Sir John Hawkins, 1532-1595: Pirate and Slave Trader, who in October 1595, captured 300 Africans in Sierra Leone to sell to Spanish settlers in the Caribbean! I've loads more to do on it yet.

Great minds think alike!

Hi there F/b. You just keeping churning them out, eh? Nice one.

The title doesn’t seem write to me - I think something like “Liverpool’s Fortune in Slave Trading” would be better. Though I'm not really sure if this entry is about the Slave Trade or about Liverpool's role in it.

“English servants could gain free passage by agreeing to be bound to an employer for a set number of years, but few took up the offer.” I believe these people were called indentured servants, were they not? Also, many agreed to work for an employer not just for their employer for a set number of years for their passage to the new world, but also for land

took 6 to 8 weeks --> took six to eight weeks

“the abolition of the trade in 1807” perhaps a footnote or something to explain why President Jefferson made the decision to abolish trade with the something-or-other act?

3 million Africans --> three million Africans

May I also make a further format suggestion? Instead of having several seperate headers for writing background on the slave trade, why not make them subheaders and replace the first one “Why Were Slaves Needed?” with a header like “Background” or “Background of the Slave Trade”? I ask because the way it looks now, the beginning after the introduction really reads like an entry on the Slave Trade.

“The Parliamentary vote resulted in the abolition of slavery.” It was only abolished in Britain because of this - could this be made clear?

I’m a sub-editor, so I’m more picky in PR now Sorry about that.

MORE PICKY

The entry seems to be falling between two stools at the moment, trying to give a background to slave trade in general whilst dealing with Liverpool specifically.

Perhaps change the title to Liverpool's slave traders, and then it has a nice end with the abolition of slavery - in England.

Failing that then I think it needs something on the way Britain turned from poacher to game-keeper, or at least something to indicate the African slave trade continued for another quarter of a century. Though I understand it is now flourishing agin.

Good entry fb

I shall have to write a local (here) entry now - as the first European Slave market is 'down the road' so to speak!
Another good one Fb!

Whereabouts are you based, Watermusic - Bristol?

One small typo to fix, Fb.

mannacles > manacles

Morning all

Thanks for the comments. Don't worry about pickiness Jodan I'm a past master - and after all, it's what improves the entries, so is welcome

Yes, I'm aware it kind of falls between two stools at the moment. I'll re-read it and fix that somehow.

I like the idea of the title being changed to Liverpool's Slave-Traders Mackay.

I'll go fix the typos and stuff.

Looking forward to reading yours on Hawkins ZSF!


F/b

OK, I've re-jigged it and changed the title and I think that's a lot clearer now.

Thank you for the suggestions: they work

Jodan: I'm not clear about your reference to President Jefferson? Should I include something about the American side of things? I'm kind of loath to, cos I'm struggling enough to keep it Liverpool-centric as it is! Let me know what you think.

Watermusic More on the Slave Trade from different perspectives would be excellent. There is a lot to write about. Modern slavery too of course...


Frenchbean

Zsf - By my entries you should have gathered Portugal! Near the original Lagos.
I should know the age of the building. It's pre-1460, dating from the early period of 'Os Descombrimentos' and the initial exploration of the West Coast of Africa.

Watermusic

Jefferson asked Congress for the Trade Embargo in 1807, to keep the US from war - which would become the war of 1812. Trade between the Americans and British stopped for quite some time there through some various acts and the war of 1812.

Hi But I'm still not clear how Jefferson fits into the entry and whether I should add something.

Sorry if I'm being particularly dense this morning!


Frenchbean

Aha! I see what confused me.

"Numbers declined during the American War of Independence (1775-83), but rose to a new peak of 120-130 ships annually in the two decades preceding the abolition of the trade in 1807."

1807 was the same year the Embargo Act went into effect (I think), and I was thinking abolition of the trade meant the Embargo Act, not the... abolition of the trade.

Nevermind

(just dropping by to add support)

But not saying anything Z? No opinions???

F/b

The entry has improved a lot in a very short time, F.

Here's a nice link to the Kitty's Amelia.

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1329/4_27/88612941/p1/article.jhtml

In it are some really good links and I have to say I didn't realise the extent of sex-slave trafficking and just how young many of the victims are, including toddlers and infants.

Hmm, I should have waited until I'd had more of a poke and a prod around. Another couple of brilliant links for you, Fb.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/slavery/liverpool.asp

http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/manxnb/v09p038.htm

There's also a fairly comprehensive Channel 4 link here:

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/S/slavetrade/findoutmore.html

Thanks ZSF

I've got those links already: they're great aren't they? I'm still trying to decide where to put them!


Frenchbean

Yes, they are wonderful. Well, the one about Cap'n One-Eye's easy to place!

Well I have nothing to add that the others haven't said. As I'm from Skelmersdale - the overspill town for Liverpool, this entry actually made me feel quite guilty.

I would if it's worth mentioning that Liverpool no long has a fortune. I also wonder if Liverpools history is part of the reason it doesnt' seem to very many black residents?

No Z, the reason there aren't many 'black residents' is because there is little in the way of employment. Most black people in LIverpool are descendants of seafarers and not the 'Windrush generation'. Liverpool however, does have a large and thriving Chinese community. I'll leave the racism and bigotry to another day.