This is the untold story of the greatest slaving nation in history. Colston was born into a prosperous bristol merchants family and, although he lived. Despite bristol s many complaints, it thrived on the slave trade and grew ever richer. Bristol used its position on the avon to trade all types of goods. Committee for effecting the abolition of the slave trade founded in london thomas clarkson visits bristol on a factfinding mission about the slave trade society of the friends of the blacks founded in france and liaises with english and american anti slavery groups. First public meeting of bristol abolitionists held in the guildhall. Act of parliament abolishes the slave trade in britain and her colonies. By the 1730s, an average of 39 slave ships left bristol each year, and between 1739 and 1748, there were 245 slave voyages from bristol about 37. The sugar was transported back to bristol and then processed in the city. Bristol s official involvement in the transatlantic slave trade started in 1698 when the londonbased royal african companys monopoly on the trade was. The choices for the 21st century education program has produced two booklets designed to help educators. First mention of a bristol coffee house in the tenure of john kimber of high street 1678. Ghosts of bristols shameful slave past haunt its graceful. The profits built fashionable townhouses and rural stately homes for the masters of the trade.
As one of several legacy products from bristol 1807 this list of resources builds on a select bibliography which was compiled in 1998 by raj lalla, jane bradley and dawn dyer as part of the support for the exhibition, a respectable trade, bristol and transatlantic slavery at bristol city museum in 1999 which was an element in the. The londonbased royal african company is established, with a monopoly of british trade to africa. The squadrons task was to suppress the atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of west africa, preventing the slave trade by force of arms, including the interception of slave ships from europe, the united states, the barbary pirates, west africa and the ottoman empire. Bristol harbour timeline 1400 1100 1200 0 1500 1067 bristol surrenders to william the conqueror bristol castle built. The citys involvement with the slave trade peaked between 1730 and 1745, when it became the leading slaving port.
Bristol is a city with a population of nearly half a million people in south west england, situated between somerset and gloucestershire on the tidal river avon. The city was also feeling the effects of the abolition. Timeline of the transatlantic slave trade thoughtco. British slave trade is abolished by act of parliament. Emancipation act passed, becoming law in 1834, saying that slaves in the british empire would become formally free only after a four year period of apprenticeship. Such developments were fuelled by the citys growing prosperity from the slave trade and the new industries. Resource prepared for a gcse local study unit, to answer the question why was a slave port located in bristol between 1698 and 1807, but would probably also work at ks3. The interlinked sugar, glass and slave trades brought bristol work and investment opportunities. Irish and english slaves were routinely sold in the port from this time until the 1100s. British cities such as london, bristol, glasgow and liverpool grew as the slave. Discover what a bristol sugar plantation and slave owners home might have looked like around 1790, with a. London and the slave trade, international slavery remembrance day royal museums greenwich blog. Africans were sold into slavery as a result of a defeat in warfare or kidnapping.
Though entrenched in wealth built upon slavery, bristol was home to a strong and militant abolitionist movement. This week we tackled a more difficult subject for our walk in the past walk the bristol slave trade. Museum of art in new york and is part of their timeline of art history project. The transatlantic slave trade became one of the largest forced migrations in human history. Essential for years 36 students studying black history. Africa bust, corn exchange references to the slave trade are still visible in bristol s buildings. Bristol had been a comparatively wealthy city prior to this trade. Bristols role in the slave trade and abolition, bristol. British monopoly of the royal african company ended 1698 first legal slaving venture out of bristol. It is an uncomfortable but undeniable fact that much of bristol s prosperity came from the slave trade. Its urban development the growth of its handsome physical fabric, similar in many respects to that of the french cities of nantes and bordeaux was directly linked to the slave trade and to bristol s general trade to the slave colonies.
The slave trade in the americas began in the 15th century when the european colonial forces in britain, france, spain, portugal, and the netherlands forcibly stole people from their homes in africa to do the hard labor that it took to power the economic engine of the new world. By the 18th century, the slave trade became a major economic mainstay for such cities as bristol, liverpool and glasgow, engaged in the socalled triangular. The transatlantic slave trade lasted a relatively short time in bristol s history as a trading port, but the impact it had on the city in the 18th century remains evident today. The slave trade was brutal and horrific, and the enslavement of africans was cruel. A more comprehensive historical timeline can be found at. This simple timeline focuses on events linked to bristol and the slave trade. Slave conspiracy to massacre whites discovered in barbados. Between 1697 and 1807, 2,108 known slaving voyages were made by bristol ships.
Slave trade timeline worksheet black history twinkl. Exploring the myths the bristol slave trade youtube. Bristol s involvement in the slave trade peaked between 1730 and 1745, with the city becoming the leading slaving port, and tremendous wealth came back to bristol. Bristol and slave trade case study understanding slavery. Bristol played a major part in the transatlantic slave trade, with bristol merchants financing over 2000 slaving voyages between 1698 and 1807. The society of merchant venturers historical timeline. Bristol, slavery and the politics of representation. As bristol grew wealthy on the back of the slave trade, many of its prominent residents took a stand in favour of abolition including poets and religious figures. This section contains information about the journey taken by the slave ships from bristol to africa. Board of trade and plantations set up by the british. Sites of memory of atlantic slavery in european towns with an.
Slavery was once thought of as an activity largely limited to the ports from which the ships of the triangular trade set sail. The old corruption britains slave trade documentary. Home bristol and transatlantic slavery slavery routes from bristol to africa. Unfinished business britains slave trade documentary. These chapters detail the history of bristol as a trading port and the influence of. It has been among the countrys largest and most economically and culturally important cities for eight centuries. In 1788 it became the first city outside london to set up a committee for the abolition of the slave trade. Merchant venturers joins the lord mayor of bristol and other civic representatives in signing a statement regretting bristol s role in the slave trade. Bristol university to confront its links with the slave trade. These ships carried over 500,000 enslaved africans from africa to slave labour in the americas.
This partial amnesia led to a local controversy and, as a result, black and white liberals together with the local authority organised an exhibition in 1999 on bristol and the slave trade. In 1996 the city of bristol celebrated its maritime past by focusing on key explorers while forgetting to mention their involvement in transatlantic conquests, and in particular in the slave trade. Legacy history of the slave trade in bristol, uk black. Bristol and the slave trade historical association. By the 1730s bristol had overtaken london as the leading slave trade port and for 10 years it was preeminent. The slave trade then boomed, with bristol being one of the three points of the slave triangle the others being africa and the west indies. Until 1725, london led the way, but between 1725 and 1740, bristol established itself as the major english slaving port. Find out about bristol s role in the transatlantic slave trade. Bristol history facts and timeline bristol, england, uk. Bristols port was the second largest in england after london.
A fter 150 years, bristol s prime music venue is to finally change its name and thereby cut its link to the infamous slave trader edward colston. Bristol dominated the english slave trade in the first half of the 18th century. Bristol and transatlantic slavery portcities bristol. Bristol later wrote itself indelibly into african history by becoming one of the major players in the transatlantic slave trade. Teach your students about the transatlantic slave trade with this timeline worksheet. Bristol, the slave trade and a reckoning with the past. You can read the introductory maps for a highlevel guided explanation, view the timeline and chronology of the traffic, or watch the slave ship and slave trade. After a slow start, the slave trade would take root in new england. Bristol and the transatlantic slave trade bristol museums.
Bristol s participation in the slave trade stretches at least as far back as the eleventh century. The bristol area has been settled since the stone age and there is evidence of roman occupation. The european port cities most involved in this growth industry were bristol, liverpool, and. The royal african company is formed in order to regulate the english slave trade, with a legal monopoly over the 2,500 miles of african coast from the sahara to the cape of good hope. Bristol is a city in the south west of england, on the river avon which flows into the severn estuary. Bristol university to confront its links with the slave trade this article is more than 11 months old a new academic role will investigate its history after estimates that 85% of original funding. It is only now, more than 200 years after the abolition of the slave trade, that the anticolston movement has gained momentum. The history of british slave ownership has been buried. How the slave trade took root in new england new england.
The salem ship desire carried enslaved africans along with the other cargo of cotton and tobacco. Bristol thrived as a city because of its slave trading success. Unfinished business looks at how liverpool became the greatest slaving port in human history. Britains slave trade reveals the shameful truth behind this liberal facade, showing how the economic, social and cultural life of britain would have been unrecognisable without slavery. Anyone who bought sugar or tea at the time was implicated in the trade. For the atlantic slave trade, captives were purchased from slave dealers in west african regions known as the slave coast. The company is financed by royal, aristocratic and commercial capital. Then liverpool came up and overtook bristol and was the leading slave trade port from the 1750s until abolition in 1807, ms. It quickly became home to a booming sugar import trade, which was not.
Bristol s fame and wealth was built on the slave trade and few slave traders were more infamous or wealthy than edward colston. Bristol was a rich city, and the slave trade made it even wealthier. Rhode islanders will hear more about the slave trade soon. The bristol slave trade present day visual connections. At least half a million africans were taken into enslavement on bristol ships alone. Who was involved, what was bought and sold, who stopped it, and what is the effect of the trade today. Ghosts of bristol s shameful slave past haunt its graceful landmarks. Each segment has a timeline, bibliography, useful links.
Bristol in modern times by the end of the 18th century, bristol was facing stiff competition from other english ports. My final year film made at uwe, exploring the links between buildings uses and their connections to the slave trade. Because of bristol s position on the river avon, it has been an. On international slavery remembrance day, we look at the role london played in the transatlantic slave trade. Timeline bristol and transatlantic slavery portcities. Because of bristol s position on the river avon, it has been an important location for marine trade for centuries. The city swelled on the glut of dirty money that flooded the city. The key thing about the bristol slave trade is that bristol invented how to do it on.