Slave Trade First Hand Reports. 1789. Fine, contemporary binding.
Abridgment of the Minutes of the Evidence, Taken before a Committee of the Whole House:
This is a summary of a historical volume that contains detailed contemporary testimonies related to the commercial trafficking of enslaved black people from Africa to the Americas. The volume includes four recorded Sessions bound together, providing insights into various aspects of the slave trade and its impact on British naval dominance.
The reports collected in this volume offer a range of perspectives, from those who defended the practice as a legitimate business enterprise to others who depicted the horrors and cruelties inflicted on enslaved individuals. The book features accounts from sea captains, ships’ surgeons, slave traders, and plantation managers, shedding light on the conditions aboard slave ships and in plantations. The volume highlights the contradictions and controversies surrounding the transatlantic slave trade, capturing the complex attitudes of the time.It is noted that the Act to Abolish the Transatlantic Slave Trade was passed in 1807, but enforcement took several more decades. Overall, the volume provides valuable historical insights into a dark chapter of human history.
