Question

Without a ban on the slave trade in 1808, slave prices would have been lower as the importation would have lowered the price of the enslaved. This would have blunted the wealth and power of existing slaveowners and meant that there would have been less profit in selling children, reducing the problem of family separation. However, this would have also allowed for faster expansion of production using slave labor further west. One could also think of other pros and cons to allowing the slave trade to continue. Given what you have learned so far, do you think the ban of the slave trade in 1808 should have occurred when it did or not? Why or why not?

Answer 1

The practice of slave trade in the world was a curse on humanity. It was abolished and became iilegal since January,1808 in U.S. and later on in other countries too. In the modern times the same phenomena is popularly known as "human trafficking", which includes women and child trafficking the most, though being illegal.

The revolutionary act was brought about by a number of reformers and activists who thought that the practice of selling human being is not good for the society. The practice of bringing people from poor countries and selling them to the rich and affluent one, was not only dreadful and horrific but also bestowed many atrocities and cruelty on them. Many used to die on the way because of long ship voyages and the others who reached alive were treated as animals and made to work for long hours.

There were various reasons for the abolition of slavery :-

Economic - as it was thought that free slavery was not good for the local labourers and workers as they remained unemployed. So it was said that wages must be given to people of their work rather than enslaving them.

Social, moral and Ethical - to upbring the factors like humanity and equality given to all class,creed and colour, reformers raised their voice to bring out a change in the society by curbing this evil practice.

The abolition of the malpractice made slave owners incur loss and thus they gradually denounced the thing.

As the demand for slaves decreased in the market on being the practice iilegal, the prices of slaves also fell making the slave owners in loss, making them to shrink the business.

It also helped poor families to be together who were forced into slavery and separated because of this.

This also helped in allowing the production houses and big manufacturers to keep the slaves as paid labourers and expand their production as it can turn the illegal into legal.

The removal of such inhuman act which inflicted pain and atrocities on small children and women was a boon for the society and as well as on the entire human race as a whole.

Although, the evil practice is still prevalent in many parts of the world still but it is illegal too. The government and international agencies should come up with plans and strategies to uproot this horrendous act from the society. Inorder to give every human being his rights to live freely and happily.