Reading: Davis, Explanations of British Abolitionism

Full Answer Section

• Benefits:
  • Led to the formal abolition of slavery in the British Empire (1833), including the Caribbean colonies.
  • Influenced anti-slavery movements in the US.
• Limitations:
  • Did not directly impact slavery in the US until much later.
  • Motivations were partly economic (ending the slave trade) and not purely humanitarian.

• Benefits:
  • Established the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere.
  • Inspired slave rebellions throughout the Americas.
  • Dealt a major blow to the transatlantic slave trade.
• Limitations:
  • Haiti's economic and political instability discouraged other slave rebellions.
  • European and American powers feared the spread of slave rebellions and took steps to suppress them.

• The Haitian Revolution had the most immediate and direct impact on New World Blacks, demonstrating the possibility of successful rebellion and establishing a free Black nation.
• British abolitionism had a wider geographic impact but took longer to come to fruition.
• The American Revolution had more ambiguous consequences, both weakening and strengthening slavery in different ways.

• The long-term impact of each event on social, political, and economic opportunities for Black people in the Americas.
• The ongoing struggle for racial equality in the Americas, which continues to be influenced by these historical events.

Sample Answer

Historians debate which event benefitted New World Blacks more, but here's a breakdown of the arguments for each:

American Revolution:

• Benefits:
  • Disrupted the slave trade to some northern states.
  • Weakened the institution of slavery overall.
  • Ideals of liberty and equality could inspire future abolitionist movements.
• Limitations:
  • Did not abolish slavery entirely.
  • Strengthened slavery in the South due to the need for manpower to cultivate cotton.