British West Indies. Of all this number, and the vast families of children born thereof, in 1834 there were only 780,993 to be emancipated.
Look at the course of things in the United States. In 1714, the number of coloured persons was 58,850; in 1850, 3,626,985.[1]
The United States can show ten Africans now living for every one brought into the country, while the British West Indies, in 1834, could not show one living man for each two brought thither as slaves.[2]
- ↑ Here is a conjectural and approximate
Table of Importation of African Slaves to the United States.
Before 1714 30,000 From 1715 to 1750 90,000 From„ 1750 to 1760 35,000 From„ 1760 to 1770 74,000 From„ 1770 to 1790 34,000 After 1790 70,000 Total 333,500 - ↑ The above facts, and the authorities for them, are taken from a valuable and readable book, by H. C. Carey, The Slave Trade, Domestic and Foreign; why it exists, and how it may be extinguished. Philadelphia, 1853. 1 vol. 12mo., pp. 426. Another work, by M. Charles Comte, contains much information relative to slavery, and its effects in ancient and modern times:—Traité de Législation ou Exposition det Lois Générales suivant lesquelles les Peuples protpérent, deperissent, ou restent stationaires, etc. (3me Edition, Bruxelles, 1837.) Livre v.
In De Bow, vol. ii. p. 340, et seq., is a statement of the importation of Slaves to Charleston, from 1804 to 1807, whence I construct the following
Table of South Carolina Slave-Trade 1804-1807.
70 vessels owned in England brought 19,649 slaves. 3 vessels„ owned in„ France brought„ 1,078 slaves„ 61 vessels„ owned in„ Charleston brought„ 7,723 slaves„ 59 vessels„ owned in„ Rhode Island brought„ 8,238 slaves„ 4 vessels„ owned in„ Baltimore brought„ 750 slaves„ 3 vessels„ owned in„ other Southern Ports brought„ 787 slaves„ 3 vessels„ owned in„ other„ Northern Ports brought„ 650 slaves„ 39,075 slaves„ Of these, 3433 were imported on account of citizens of the slave-holding States, and 35,642 on account of capitalists in countries where Slavery was prohibited! Newport, in Rhode Island, was famous for the slave-trade, and its prosperity fell with that business. The cost of paving the only street in the town paved with stone was defrayed by a tax of ten dollars on each slave brought into the harbour. So late as 1850, Boston vessels were engaged in the African slave-trade. The domestic slave-trade still employs many northern vessels,—1033 slaves were shipped at Baltimore, for various southern ports, in 1851.
