How Slavery Was Perceived In The American Colonies

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HOW SLAVERY WAS PERCEIVED IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES COMPARING MERCHANTS’ VERSUS CHRISTIANS' POINTS OF VIEW In this short essay I am going to discuss two articles. Both are letters—or at least directly aimed at a certain group of people to read and to act accordingly. In comparing the articles, and in finding out what ties them together and what they have (or have not) in common, I am hoping to shed some light on how slavery was perceived in the American colonies. The first primary source I am going to discuss is titled “A letter to a Member of Parliament, concerning the African trade,” written around 1748. It is not sure whom it is written by, because the author only wrote down his initials (A.Z.), but it can with some certainty be stated that the author was a British merchant. The subject of the letter, as the title suggests, is the trade between British merchants and Africa, and it is especially concerning the slave trade along the African coasts. In his letter, the author requests that the British Parliament meet the British merchants (and/or companies—whether or not yet to be established—of traders) financially, in order to help them strengthen their position in the African slave trade. Also, he suggests that they fortify existing or erect new forts, castles and settlements along the African coasts. The reason he is asking this (on behalf of the merchants from Liverpool, Bristol and London, as he mentions several times), is the importance of the African slave trade to the American colonies and sugar plantations. Already in the first paragraph he starts by saying that he shall take it for granted that it is well-known that “the Well-being and Prosperity of our American Colonies depends upon the Supply of Slaves from the Coast of Africa; and that some of the most valuable Branches of the Slave-Trade will be absolutely lost, without an immediate Supply, and

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