The British Transatlantic Slave Trade Vol 2

Kenneth Morgan, Robin Law, David Ryden, J R Oldfield

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781138757981
• eBook ISBN: 9781000559552
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

Contains primary texts relating to the British slave trade in the 17th and 18th century. The first volume contains two 18th-century texts covering the slave trade in Africa. Volume two focuses on the work of the Royal African company, and volumes three and four focus on the abolitionists' struggle.

The National and Private Advantages of the African Trade Considered (London, P. Knapton, 1746)

Malachy Postlethwayt

DOI: 10.4324/9781003113409-6

This treatise begins with a statement of the importance of the slave trade to Britain. This is seen as residing in the provision of enslaved labourers to maintain the plantation system in Britain's New World colonies, thereby providing 'an inexhaustible Fund of Wealth and Naval Power to this Nation' (p. 202). The acquisition of slaves was paid for by the export of British manufactures to Africa; there was no drain of specie or bullion in the trade. Moreover, the dependency of British plantations on enslaved African labour meant that Britain would never be depopulated by supplying labourers to cultivate tropical produce. The discussion emphasises the riches of Africa, not merely the human resources but the gold mines and extraction of saltpetre. For these reasons, the slave trade is of considerable national advantage to Britain. Postlethwayt adds that slaves in the colonies are better looked after than they would be if left to remain in Africa, where they might be captured in war by African princes and tortured.

In common with other writers, Postlethwayt underscores the importance of the African trade to Britain's prosperity by emphasising the need to maintain the forts, factories and castles belonging to the Royal African Company. Not only were these establishments important in showing the company's willingness to defend parts of west Africa against rival encroachers; they also assisted private traders in acquiring slaves. Other European trading powers, notably France, continued to support their forts in Africa and Britain should do likewise. A detailed summary of individual forts and establishments is presented to make a case for a parliamentary allowance to support the Royal African Company in Africa. The subsidies, bounties and exemptions from duties that the French and Dutch have in place to support their trade with Africa are estimated in order to buttress the case for financial assistance for the company.

The fact that this treatise was published during the conflict with France as part of the War of the Austrian Succession suggests that support for the Royal African Company's forts was important when her rivals were encroaching on her trade. 'If it is in the Interest and Desire of the British Nation so to reduce the Power of France', Postlethwayt argues, 'as to disable them from supplanting us in the Trade of America, or encreasing their Naval Power upon the Ruin of ours, Now is the Time, or, perhaps, Never' (p. 281). Some of the material presented in the middle of the treatise summaraises passages already published by Charles Hayes in The Importance of Effectually Supporting the Royal African Company of England impartially consider'd (London, 1744). It is argued that the £10,000 that the Royal African Company has received annually since 1730 was 'a temporary Reprieve' (p. 296) for its financial problems. The expence of maintaining forts and factories has led the company to spend £100,000 more than it has received from public money in the period between 1729 and 1743. The view is put forward that the company should be better supported, and that this would benefit the private traders, British planters, and the nation. Postlethwayt argues that parliamentary support for the Royal African Company should be not less than £30,000 per annum. Widiout this support, the forts would fall into greater states of disrepair; Britain would be out-competed by the French in the slave and West India trades; and the interlocking network of British transatlantic trade and slavery would be badly dented.

THE
National and Private
ADVANTAGES
OF THE
AFRICAN TRADE
CONSIDERED:
BEING AN
ENQUIRY,

How far it concerns the
TRADING INTEREST of Great Britain,

Effectually to Support and Maintain
The FORTS and SETTLEMENTS
in AFRICA;

BELONGING TO THE
ROYAL AFRICAN COMPANY
of ENGLAND:

Shewing also What Support and Encouragement the Dutch and the French give to their respective African Companies; and that nothing less than 30,000l. per Annum, granted by Parliament to the present Company, for a Term of Years certain can enable them to support a Competition with our Rivals in that Trade: with a Proposition to render the Interest of private Traders, and that of the Company mutually beneficial to each other.

With a new and correct MAP of the Coast of AFRICA, and all the European Settlements.

Humbly inscribed to the R^t. Hon^be. HENRY PELHAM, Esq; First Lord Commissioner of his Majesty's Treasury, and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

LONDON:

Printed for JOHN and PAUL KNAPTON, at the Crown in Ludgati-Street, MDCCXLVI, (Price 28,)

CONTENTS

1. CHAP. I. PF the National and Private Advantages of the Trade to Africa
2. CHAP. II. A Short View of the African Trade; Shewing, That its future Security and Preservation, as well as its first Establishment, must depend upon the Forts, Castles, and Factories belonging to the Royal African Company,
3. CHAP. III. The Forts and Settlements in Africa, and those under the Government of a Trading Company, are absolutely necessary to preserve our Trade to Africa ; with an Answer to all Objections
4. CHAP. IV. Of the Parliamentary Allowance that may be necessary to the African Company for the effectual Support and Maintenance of the Forts and Settlements in Africa
5. CHAP. V. Of the Means by which the present Royal African Company has been reduced to the State they are at present in; and what Consideration They merit from the Publick
6. CHAP. VI. Of the Foundation of the Trade of the Royal African Company, and of the Value if their Forts and Settlements in Africa;
7. CHAR VII. That the Parliamentary Aid for the due Support of the Royal African Company cannot be less than 30,000 l. per Annum; and that to be secured to the Company by Act of Parliament, for the Term of Fourteen Years, out of the Sinking Fund

ERRATA

PAge 23, line 10. for Ports, read Forts, p. 72.1.4. for Three per Cent, read Two. p. 82. l. 12, for what Treatment, read what future Treatment.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE AFRICAN TRADE.

CHAP. I. Of the National and private Advantages of the Trade to Africa

THE most approved Judges of the commerical Interests of these Kingdoms have ever been of Opinion, that our West-India and African Trades are the most nationally benesicial of any we carry on. It is also allowed on all Hands, that the Trade to Africa is the Branch which renders our American Colonics and Plantations so advantagious to Great-Britain; that Traffic only affording our Planters a constant Supply of Negroe-Servants for the Culture of their Lands in the Produce of Sugars, Tobacco, Rice, Rum, Conton, Fustick, Pimento, and all other our Plantation-Produce: So that the extensive Employment of our Shipping in, to, and from America, the great Brood of Seamen consequent thereupon, and the daily Bread of the most considerable Part of our British Manufacturers, are owing primarily to the Labour of Negroes; who, as they Were the first happy Instruments of raising our Plantations; so their Labour only can support and preserve them, and render them still more and more profitable to their Mother-Kingdom.

African Trade alone supplies our Colonies with Negroes for Sugar, Tobacco, Rice, Cotton, &c. &c.

The Negroe-Trade therefore, and the natural Consequences resulting from it, may be justly esteemed an inexhaustible Fund of Wealth and Naval Power to this Nation. And by the Overplus of Negroes above what have served our own Plantations, we have drawn likewise no inconsiderable Quantities of Treasure from the Spaniards, who are settled on the Continent of America; not only for Negroes furnished them from Jamaica, but by the late Assiento Contract with the Crown of Spain; which may probably again be revived, upon a Peace being concluded with that Kingdom.

What renders the Negroe-Trade still more estimable and important, is, that near Nine-tenths of those Negroes are paid for in Africa with British Produce and Manufactures only; and the Remainder with East-India Commodities. We send no Specie or Bullion to pay for the; Products of Africa, but, 'tis certain, we bring from thence very large Quantities of Gold; and not only that but Wax and Ivory; the one serves for a foreign Export without the least Detriment to our own Product; the other is manufactured at Home, and afterwards carried to foreign Markets, to no little Advantage both to the Nation and the Traders. From which Facts, the Trade to Africa may very truly be said to be, as it were, all Profit to the Nation; the direct Trade thither affords a considerable national Ballance in our Favour, and is apparently attended with such a Series of advantagious Consequences, that no other Branch whatever of our foreign Traffic admits of.

Africa supplies Spanish-west. Indies with Negroes.

We send no Specie or Bullion to Africa, but bring Gold from thence.

And it m...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents Page
• Acknowledgements Page
• Introduction Page
• Certain Considerations relating to the Royal African Company of England... (London, 1680)
• A True State of the present difference between the Royal African Company and the Separate Traders...written by a true lover of his country (London, 1710)
• The Case of the Royal African Company of England (London, Sam. Aris, 1730)
• The importance of effectually supporting the Royal African Company of England, impartially consider'd... (London, M. Cooper, 1744)
• The African Trade, the Great Pillar and Support of the British Plantation Trade in North America (London, J. Robinson, 1745)
• The National and Private Advantages of the African Trade Considered (London, P. Knapton, 1746)
• Endnotes
• Permissions