Bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade
28th March 2007
I have been involved over the last two week in the bicentenary commemoration of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
William Wilberforce is remembered as the key figure in bringing the uncomfortable reality of slavery to the forefront of the national conscious, both through his parliamentary campaigning and his encouragement of civil action, such as the movement to discourage people from taking sugar produced by slaves on plantations in their tea. Wilberforce's twenty-year parliamentary struggle to abolish the slave trade however, was not won through the actions of one man. Mention should be made of the vicar John Venn, and educationalist Hannah More. It was this group of Christian friends which enabled Wilberforce to see his faith as entirely compatible with political action, as Wilberforce proceeded to fight for the dignity of mankind. The abolitionists also owed much to the testimony of Olaudah Equiano who wrote a first-hand account of life aboard a slave ship and brutal treatment at the hands of slave owners. Equiano, together with the emancipated slave Ignatius Sancho, Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharpe was instrumental in gathering public support for abolishing slave trade.
Bringing the issue closer to home, I am reminded of the lead taken by George Fox and the legacy left by active local Quakers in North London who supported the Abolition Society and had meeting houses in Enfield, Winchmore Hill and Tottenham. Several influential members are buried by the Winchmore Hill Friends Meeting House, among them John Freame and Dr John Fothergill. As a nation we should have great regret at our part in 300 years of trading of African people but also pride that through Wilberforce Britain took the lead in abolishing this crime against humanity. Sadly slavery is still with us, with over 4000 women and children trafficked into prostitution in the UK each year. The UN estimates that 12m people are trapped in slavery. Next week as we eat our Easter eggs we should be mindful of reports that half the chocolate comes from cocoa plantations that use slave labour.
