Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/12

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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IX.
African Slave Trade in the Eighteenth Century.
England first engages in the Slave-Trade in 1562 — Sir John Hawkins' voyages. — British first establish a regular trade in 1618. — Second charter granted in 1631. — Third charter in 1662. — Capture of the Dutch Forts. — Retaken by De Ruyter. — Fourth charter in 1672; the King and Duke of York shareholders. — Monopoly abolished, and free trade in Slaves declared. — Flourishing condition of the Trade. — Numbers annually exported. — Public sentiment aroused against the Slave-Trade -in England. — Parliament resolve to hear Evidence upon the subject. — Abstract of the Evidence taken before a Select Committee of the House of Commons in 1790 and 1791. — Revealing the Enormities committed by the Natives on the persons of one another to procure Slaves for the Europeans. — War and Kidnapping — imputed Crimes. — Villages attacked and burned, and inhabitants seized and sold. — African chiefs excited by intoxication to sell their subjects 106
CHAPTER X.
African Slave Trade in the Eighteenth Century, continued — The Middle Passage.
Abstract of Evidence before House of Commons, continued. — The enslaved Africans on board the Ships — their dejection. — Methods of confining, airing, feeding and exercising them. — Mode of stowing them, and its horrible consequences. — Incidents of the terrible Middle Passage — shackles, chains, whips, filth, foul air, disease, suffocation. — Suicides by drowning, by starvation, by wounds, by strangling. — Insanity and Death. — Manner of selling them when arrived at their destination. — Deplorable situation of the refuse or sickly Slaves. — Mortality among Seamen engaged in the Slave-Trade. — Their miserable condition and sufferings from disease, and cruel treatment 126
CHAPTER XI.
Slavery in the West Indies, 1750 to 1790.
Abstract of Evidence continued. — Slavery in the West Indies from 1750 to 1790. — General estimation and treatment of the Slaves. — Labor of Plantation Slaves — their days of rest, food, clothing, property. — Ordinary punishment by the whip and cowskin. — Frequency and severity of these Punishments. — Extraordinary Punishments of various kinds, for nominal offenses. — Capital offenses and Punishments. — Slaves turned off to steal, beg, or starve, when incapable of labor. — Slaves had little or no redress against ill usage 143
CHAPTER XII.
Early Opponents of African Slavery in England and America.
Period from 1660 to 1760; Godwin, Richard Baxter, Atkins, Hughes, Bishop Warburton. — Planters accustomed to take their Slaves to England, and to carry them back into slavery by force. — Important case of James Somerset decided, 1772. — John Wesley. — Motion in House of Commons against Slave-Trade, 1776. — Case of ship Zong — Bridgwater Petitions. — The Quakers in England oppose Slavery. — Resolutions of the Quakers, from 1727 to 1760. — They Petition House of Commons. — First Society formed, 1783. — The Quakers and others in America. — Action of the Quakers of Pennsylvania from 1588 to 1788. — Benezet writes tracts against Slavery. — His letter to the Queen.-Sentiment in America favorable to Africans, 1772. — House of Burgesses of Virginia in addresses the King. — Original draft of Declaration of Independence. — First Society formed in America "for Promoting Abolition of Slavery," 1774. — Opposition to the Slave-Trade in America 158