Slavery in the United States

[Keith Broaders]

The Zong Massace

Slavery in the United States

In 1784, the Continental Congress narrowly failed to ban slavery in all new western territories. Thomas Jefferson proposed an ordinance that would have prohibited slavery in these federal lands after the year 1800, but the anti-slavery provision missed being included by a single vote. The umportation of slave was to be banned in 1808. It was believed that ending the slave trade would lead to the end ofslavery in the Unitrf States.

Yes, many early abolitionists believed ending the slave trade would naturally lead to the abolition of slavery. They assumed that without a continuous supply of enslaved people, plantation owners would be forced to treat their existing enslaved workers better, improve conditions, and eventually transition to a paid wage system.

The belief that stopping the trade would cause the institution of slavery to "wither on the vine" was a central strategy for politicians like William Wilberforce during the British abolition movement. 

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However, this assumption proved flawed. Instead of gradually dying out, the end of the slave trade often resulted in the horrific overworking of enslaved people to maximize the output of those already on the plantations. It also sparked domestic slave trading in places like the United States. 

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Because halting the trade did not improve conditions or end the practice, abolitionists were forced to pivot their efforts toward targeted, full emancipation. You can explore the historical timelines and economic factors behind this shift in the American Civil War Museum Blog or review the broader context in the Lowcountry Digital History Initiative. For deeper historical debates, scholars like those at History Hit provide further insight into the factors that finally broke the system. 

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• Northwest Ordinances

[Keith Broaders]