The Abolition of the Brazilian Slave Trade: Britain, Brazil and the Slave Trade Question (Cambridge Latin American Studies, Series Number 6)

When at the beginning of the nineteenth century Britain launched her crusade against the transatlantic slave trade, Brazil was one of the greatest importers of African slaves in the New World. Negro slavery had been the cornerstone of the Brazilian economy and of Brazilian society for over 200 years and the slave population of Brazil required regular replenishment through the trade. In this detailed study Dr Bethell explains how during the period of Brazilian independence from Portugal, Britain forced the Brazilian slave trade to be declared illegal, why it proved impossible to suppress it for twenty years afterwards and how it was finally abolished. He covers a major aspect of the history of the international abolition of the slave trade and slavery and makes an important contribution to the study of Anglo-Brazilian relations which were dominated - and damaged - by the slave trade question for more than half a century. Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 2 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Maps......Page 15 Abbreviations......Page 17 1 - First steps towards abolition, 1807--1822......Page 18 2 - Independence and abolition, 1822--1826......Page 44 3 - Brazil and the slave trade, 1827--1839......Page 79 4 - Treaty negotiations, 1830--1839......Page 105 5 - The British navy and the mixed commissions, 1830--1839......Page 139 6 - The extension of Britain's powers, 1839......Page 168 7 - Britain and the slave trade, 1839--1845......Page 197 8 - Slave trade, slavery and sugar duties, 1839--1844......Page 231 9 - Lord Aberdeen's Act of 1845......Page 259 10 - The aftermath of the Aberdeen Act......Page 284 11 - Changing attitudes and plans of action, 1845--1850......Page 313 12 - Crisis and final abolition, 1850--1851......Page 344 13 - The aftermath of abolition......Page 381 Appendix: Estimates of slaves imported into Brazil, 1831--1855......Page 405 Bibliography......Page 413 Index......Page 432 Publisher description: When at the beginning of the nineteenth century Britain launched her crusade against the transatlantic slave trade, Brazil was one of the greatest importers of African slaves in the New World. Negro slavery had been the cornerstone of the Brazilian economy and of Brazilian society for over 200 years and the slave population of Brazil required regular replenishment through the trade. In this detailed study Dr Bethell explains how during the period of Brazilian independence from Portugal, Britain forced the Brazilian slave trade to be declared illegal, why it proved impossible to suppress it for twenty years afterwards and how it was finally abolished. He covers a major aspect of the history of the international abolition of the slave trade and slavery and makes an important contribution to the study of Anglo-Brazilian relations which were dominated - and damaged - by the slave trade question for more than half a century