The abolition act of 1807 : between humanitarian and economic interpretations

Abstract EN

The important human flow in the history of Africa, under the context of trans-Atlantic slave trade, decreased labour force and therefore the production of cash crops and minerals, which were of increasing demand after the advent of the Industrial Revolution.

Under these circumstances, the British decided to prohibit slave trade by the Abolition Act of 1807, which generated divergent interpretations.

While the official discourse stressed the humanitarian argument, others emphasised rather the economic reasons.

The article attempts to find out the more determining factors to the reasons for the Abolition Act.