The End Of The Slave Trade Was Not The End Of Slavery
While Britain has been lauded as the great liberator of enslaved African people after becoming the first to abolish the slave trade in 1807 and pressuring other countries to follow suit, it should be noted that Britain was the biggest exporter of Africans during the 18th century.
For 200 years, 1440-1640, Portugal had a monopoly on the export of Africans for enslavement. It is estimated that during the 450 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Portugal was responsible for transporting over 4.5 million African captives (roughly 40 percent of the total).
During the 18th century, however, when the slave trade accounted for the transport of a staggering 6 million Africans, Britain was the worst transgressor – responsible for the enslavement of almost 2.5 million people.
Britain would continue the practice of slavery for another 26 years, after abolishing the slave trade that proved too costly thanks in part to rebellions. The United States also abolished the slave trade in 1807, but did abolish slavery until 1865. Portugal followed in 1869, with its former colony Brazil abolishing slavery in 1888.
