The document outlines seven main ways that Britain benefitted from its involvement in the slave trade:
1. Money and taxes - The slave trade generated wealth for many individuals and significant tax revenue for the government.
2. Access to goods - Slavery made goods produced by slave labor, like sugar and coffee, cheaper and more accessible in Britain.
3. More jobs - The slave trade created jobs in industries like shipbuilding and sailing, as well as jobs in the Caribbean and jobs supported by the profits of slavery.
4. It is undeniable that Britain had a strong involvement in the slave
trade. Most of the benefits of this were financial, although there
were other ways Britain gained too.
5. The benefits that Britain
gained from slavery can be
summed up in seven ways:
• Money and taxes
• Access to goods
• More jobs
• Bigger population
• Stronger navy
• Changes to cities
• Health/education
6. Money and taxes
Money is the most obvious
benefit from the trade.
The British sold slaves as well
as the products they grew. This
made many people rich e.g.
Richard Oswald from Ayr,
Thomas Leyland in Liverpool.
7. The British government also
made a huge amount of tax
money from the slave trade.
As British companies made
profits on goods such as sugar
and tobacco, the government
took a share of this. Tax
money was used to fund
government actions, including
the military.
8. Access to goods
Being part of the slave trade
gave Britons access to the
goods that slaves sold.
Although products such as
sugar and coffee were still
expensive, they were still
cheaper than may have been
the case without slave links.
9. More jobs
Slavery created job opportunities
for British people. Many worked
in shipbuilding or as sailors on
the slave ships.
Other British people went to the
Caribbean for work, including as
doctors and lawyers.
10. The money that the slave trade
brought to Britain also helped
create other jobs.
The Industrial Revolution was
funded partly due to slavery
profits. This helped create factory
jobs across Britain, with these
workplaces using slave goods
such as cotton.
11. Bigger population
Britain’s population changed
and grew thanks to the
availability of jobs. The slave
trade helped achieve this.
Cities such as Liverpool saw
a huge population increase
to work in the city’s
shipyards.
12. Stronger navy
Britain’s military was also
stronger because of slavery.
The large number of ships built
to transport slaves and goods
led to improvements in ship
design. This led to better navy
ships being built.
13. Many slave ship sailors also
went on to work in the navy.
This meant that they had a
strong experience of sailing,
including skills such as
navigation.
The government was also able
to use extra tax money to pay
for a stronger navy.
14. Changes to towns and cities
British cities saw an increase in
population due to the jobs
created thanks to the slave trade.
In addition, rich merchants used
their profits to build grand
homes and buildings, such as in
the Merchant City area of
Glasgow.
15. Health and education
Many slave merchants spent their
money on charities, such as
setting up schools and hospitals.
Schools such as Bathgate
Academy and Dollar Academy,
and also Edinburgh’s Royal
Infirmary received money from
the slave trade.
