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NATURE AND THE PITCHFORK 23 |
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speaking in the House of Delegates of the State of Virginia in 1832: "If we could extinguish the capacity to see the light, our work would be completed; they would then be on a level with the beasts of the field, and we should be safe."
A Profitable Business
Why was slave trading carried out on this scale? Simply because there was money in it—big money. A British slave ship of the 18th century reports a profit of £60,000 from one voyage; and in those days, money was worth something! And the trade went on being profitable long after the 18th century. Here are two examples from the middle of the 19th century: slaves bought in the Gold Coast for $8 apiece were sold in the Southern States of America for $500 apiece. And there is the Havana slaver La Fortuna making one trip with 217 slaves who fetched $77,469. The expenses of the trip ?—well, the ship cost $3,700, and was auctioned at the close of the voyage for $3,950!
Who was responsible for the slave trade? Many different people: British, Americans, French, Dutch, Danes, Portuguese, Brazilians, Arabs. And the history of the fight against slave-trading has a familiar political ring.
Britain, of course, started the game early. "The fortunes of Bristol and Liverpool are built up on the bodies of tens of thousands of negroes." Having made a comfortable fortune, Britain pulled out, and tried to stop others from doing the same. |
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