British campaign against slavery

Anti-slavery patrol ship

The transatlantic slave trade was one of the most appalling events in human history. From the later 1700s there was a major campaign in Britain to abolish the trade. The first success came in 1807 when the slave trade was abolished. The next success was in 1833 when slavery itself became illegal. From this time on the British, through the Royal Navy, put a lot of effort into stopping slave trading.

This ship is an example of a Royal Navy patrol ship which stopped slave trading ships and then set the slaves free. The slavers’ goods were usually confiscated and split between the freed slaves and the Royal Navy crews. These ships operated in American waters and around the coasts of Africa. For more details about the work of these ships, have a look at some documents on The National Archives' Learning Curve.

English Heritage Ref no: CC97/01142 Reproduced by permission of English Heritage.NMR Find out more about this ship by visiting Heritage Explorer

Study this source carefully. 1 What impression does this source give of life in the British empire in terms of the following issues: the campaign against slavery? the methods used to stop the slave trade? the commitment of the British to stopping the slave trade? 2 Explain whether you think this source gives a positive or negative view of the empire. 3 Are you going to use this source in your own online exhibition? Questions 1 Describe the ship shown in the photograph. 2 Think about the number of sailors on board, the resources needed to supply and arm the ship and keep it in good repair. What does this suggest about the British commitment to stamp out the slave trade? 3 HMS Buzzard was one of many anti-slavery patrol ships. Does this help to explain why ‘fairness and fair play’ was top of the list in the poll about what defines Britain?