Royal Navy Versus the Slave Traders: Enforcing Abolition at Sea 1808-1898

by Bernard Edwards

On March 16, 1807, the British Parliament passed The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. In the following year the Royal Navy’s African Squadron was formed, its mission to stop and search ships at sea suspected of carrying slaves from Africa to the Americas and the Middle East.

With typical thoroughness, the Royal Navy went further, and took the fight to the enemy, sailing boldly up uncharted rivers and creeks to attack the barracoon's where the slaves were assembled ready for shipment. For much of its long campaign against the evil of slavery Britain's Navy fought alone and unrecognised. Its enemies were many and formidable. Ranged against it were the African chiefs, who sold their own people into slavery, the Arabs, who rode shotgun on the slave caravans to the coast, and the slave ships of the rest of the world, heavily armed, and prepared to do battle to protect their right to traffic in the forbidden black ivory.

The war was long and bitter and the cost to the Royal Navy in ships and men heavy, but the result was worthy of the sacrifices made. The abolition of the slave trade led to a scramble for empires and, in place of slaves, Africa began to export cocoa, coffee, timber, palm oil, cotton and ores, all very much in demand in the West.

Genres: History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2008

Reviews

[Francis Tapon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regarding slavery, the standard narrative is that Europeans were the bad guys and Africans were the victims.
This book supplies ample evidence that Europeans, especially the British Navy, were instrumental in ending the slave trade, despite the efforts of Africans and others to keep it going.

Some memorable parts of the book:

"Contrary to popular belief, slavery in Africa was not initiated by the white man but was homegrown, often the consequence of intertribal warfare. Long before the arrival of foreigners on their shores, it was the habit of local chieftains to make slaves of prisoners taken in battle. Any surviving men, women and children on the losing side were enslaved as a matter of course and for as long as their conquerors wished. In the rare times when peace reigned between tribes, the shortfall was made up by enslaving those who committed crimes against the community."

The book quotes Sir James Yeo, who wrote in 1816, "Neither mountains, rivers nor deserts will prove barriers to the slave trade, as the black chiefs will bring their slaves from every extremity of Africa as long as there is a nation that will afford them a slave market."

Edwards concludes, "It had taken all of ninety years, but thanks to the persistence of the British Government and the valiant work of the Royal Navy, Africa had at last rid itself of the evil of slave trading."

He mentions that about 2000 British sailors died for the cause. Although this is a huge sacrifice, the 11+ million enslaved Africans dwarf that number. Still, what makes this book valuable is that it forces us to rethink the standard story that dead white European men were all bad and that all Africans were victims. The reality is more nuanced.

In the epilogue, he discusses Zimbabwe "typifying the end of the African dream."
Indeed, the country had it all. Europeans proved that by making it "one of Africa's success stories."
However, after Robert Mugabe took over, it went from being Africa's breadbasket to its basket case.

His somber conclusion is, "And as self-impoverished Africa slips back into the abyss of the dark ages, the slave trade has returned.... The trade involves most states in sub-Saharan Africa. The children are kidnapped or purchased for $20-70 each by slavers in poorer states, such as Benin and Togo, and sold into slavery in dex ens or as unpaid domestic servants for $350 each in weather olil-rich states, such as Nigeria and Gabon."

However, if the British Navy were to intervene in Africa today to stop such slave trade, some would call it neo-colonialism.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slavery has been as endemic in human history as warfare. Whole societies have been built on slavery and, for most of history, the practice was taken completely for granted as simply part of the cultural fabric, as unfortunate but as inevitable as death and illness. There’s only been two places and times in the world where it has been outlawed: firstly, in Christian Europe in the early Middle Ages and then again in the fractured Europe of early modern era. Having outlawed slavery for Christians, the more enlightened men of the Englightenment reinstituted it on the basis of dubious sounding but scientifically dressed up theories of racial superiority (much of Voltaire’s wealth was earned from the slave trade and he defended the trade on the basis of his belief in a racial hierarchy where white people “are superior to Negroes, just like Negroes are superior to monkeys”).

Against the likes of Voltaire, Diderot and Rousseau were set a bunch of mostly British religious nut cases, or so they were depicted at the time, who insisted on putting principle before the passive acceptance of a lot of people getting quietly rich. The abolitionists, in the teeth of well-funded opposition, managed to drive the abolition of slavery through Parliament and, in the face of even more opposition, succeeded in enlisting the Royal Navy to police this abolition upon the oceans of the world.

This book tells the story of the squadrons of ships given the task of patrolling the seas where the slave traders ran. It was one of the most difficult stations for any ship: fever-ridden coasts where many a sailor met his end in sweat and agony, to be consigned to a grave in the ocean. So when you read about people agitating for restitution, it’s worth asking what of the men who gave their lives to stop the slave trade? Should not their relatives get restitution too, for they died that others might live free of the shadow of slavery.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There has been much concentration on the history of slave-trading, and who was involved in it recently. However, Bernard Edwards concentrates on how the British Royal Navy actually fought the slave traders after slavery was outlawed. He writes that the Royal Navy committed many ships and over 40,000 men to hunting down slave-traders in Africa, and that they were the only ones with the will to end it. It was certainly a wearisome and long campaign, with very little help from any other country. This tale of the African Squadron is little-known, and deserves to be told. He is quite dogmatic about politics, which might make the book controversial these days.

Edwards doesn't deny any horrors of the slave trade, and indeed goes into them in detail. To his credit, he also delves into the horrendous modern slave-trade. This could make the book difficult to read for some.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781399013505
PRICE £14.99 (GBP)

[Nils Mattisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to know when the gruesome slave trade in Africa started. Before the Europeans arrived, Arabs had been active for hundreds of years and before the Arabs there was internal trade between tribes. This book instead tells the story of how it ended, with the British courts reaching a landmark decision that enslavement had no basis in common law which led to the Royal Navy being tasked with a campaign to end it. This campaign would last two hundred years and take the life of thousands of sailors, but it saved the lives of untold numbers of slaves and repatriated many of them in Freetown. This is a difficult book to read at times, the horrors are hard to fathom, but it’s an important story that still reverberates in events today and it should be more well known.

[Noah Goats · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the history of the world, no country has done more to end slavery or end the slave trade than The British Empire. The empire went from being one of the major slave traders, to banning slavery in its own territories, to employing its navy to end the slave trade. There's a lot you can say against the Empire, but you have to put this huge thing on the scale in its favor.

In Royal Navy Versus the Slave Traders, Bernard Edwards tells this important story. This isn't one of those rigorously researched histories, but it's not a boring read. Edwards is less of a facts and figures kind of history writer, and more of a human drama kind of history writer.

[Mark K.Astley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The early part of this edition needs a copy editor; some poor grammar. After an introduction to the background of the slave trade in 18th Century it then turns into a chapter by chapter retelling of specific events involving the Royal Navy's battles with the slave trade. This book structure somehow misses the big picture and context of the RN Africa Squadron's fight for nearly a hundred years to destroy the slave trade. Perhaps the city of Bristol can erect a monument to the nearly 2500 lives lost by the Royal Navy in place of the Colston statue taken down a couple of years back.

[Rev AJBawtree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful insight to a terrible situation - it still happens. Who will stand against it?

This book with reference to many who served with courage, even dying in the cause of defeating the slavers, is worth a read. The tragic story of standing up against evil, and the legacy on the East and West coasts of Africa, let alone the ongoing slave routes to North Africa and the Middle East. The fight, which it truly is, is centuries old. The Royal Navy have an honourable place in the story, at sea.

[Maltingsks · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read

This provides another view of slavery and the efforts of Britain to eradicate the abominable trade. The fact that slavery still exists is a poor indictment of humanity.
What is more interesting is that the Europeans are not the only guilty party.
Readers of history should include this in their library.
Bernard Edwards has made this an easy and enjoyable read, even if the content evokes some gruesome images.

[Amy and Iain Waddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting resd.

A must read to dispel the political nonsense that we hear about in UK that we need to pay compensation. I think The reverse should be The case. The commitment in effort, time, money, and the lives of sailors lost and ruined to help those brutalized by slavery.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting look at slave trading in the 1800’s and the efforts to stop the trade by the British Navy. This is not a well known effort and the stories were very well told. It was an extremely informative book.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Simon Alford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Numerous accounts of a 90 year fight. Even when outgunned and outnumbered the RN usually won due to skills and motivation.

[Adrian D · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

the best book evry one should read it it would make a very goog tv ect ect ect ect ect

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad that I was able to read this book. It is extremely informative and not a lot of people (including me) know enough about this subject. I learned a lot while reading this book.

[Josh Clubley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first and final chapters of this book, in which the author makes plain his own beliefs and thoughts on modern issues, somewhat let down what is otherwise an interesting historical account.

[Bruce Horton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Patronising and riddled with historical errors.

[Michael G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bit of a Pirates of the Caribbean-style adventure, but with the enemies being slavers primarily based off the coast of West Africa. Hard to put down at times to be fair. A collection of many stories of the British West Africa Squadron, as they attempt to put down piracy in Africa. Many villains. African chiefs along with European, African and Arab slavers.

The book offers a pretty amazing perspective of the gutsy, manly and very Christian struggle against the evil of the slave trade, which isn't really in line with the woke nonsense pumped out in our age. There are a myriad of complexities and nuances to the slave trade. But it's hard to argue that the British are without honour after they repented of their evil and then paid their penance in blood and gold, suppressing slavery at great expense. This book chronicles that expense.

This is not a boring political history book. It is literally a book of real-life adventures and struggles. There was a short and reasonably politically neutral introduction. The conclusion was a bit too negative and strong, a disappointing ending after so much exciting good.

[Shirley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review – "Royal Navy Versus the Salve Traders" by Bernard Edwards 5-30-2021 reviewer - Shirley W

I found this topic very interesting and therefore presumed I would really enjoy the book; however, I just could not finish. I did read 34% of the book but found it a bit laborious with dates and names. Certainly, a work strictly of history and seemed professionally researched.

[Lona Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actress Lily Allen should read this book. She recently said the world hates Britain because of slavery. She is evidently unaware that the British outlawed slavery and spent no small amount of man and materiel to stamp it out. Slavery is an historical, worldwide scourge. The British story is unique and deserves to be known.

[Tarquilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read and the ending was a complete surprise.