The Advantages of the African Trade Malachy Postlethwayt (1772) [The British transatlantic slave trade flourished from the mid-seventeenth century until the early nineteenth century. It was a major conduit for the forced migration of Africans to the Americas. Between 1660 and 1807 over three million Africans were dispatched to the Americas in British vessels. The British took the position that any interference with the slave trade touched the economic well-being of the empire. British merchants were persistent in this view because they were deeply engaged in the trade, particularly from 1713 onward. This was when, by the Treaty of Utrecht, the British received the Assiento, the exclusive right to supply the Spanish colonies in America with slaves. British political economists gave their blessing to the slave trade, regarding it as a cornerstone of British commercial prosperity. No respectable writer on commerce took a contrary position, and Malachy Postlethwayt, was no exception.] http://www.pickeringchatto.com/transatlantic.htm and Ver Steeg & Hofstadter, Great Issues in American History (1969) The most approved Judges of the commercial Interests of these Kingdoms have ever been of Opinion, that our West-India and Africa Trades are the most nationally beneficial of any we carry on. It is also allowed on all Hands, that the Trade to Africa is the Branch which renders our American Colonies and Plantations so advantagious to Great-Britain; that Traffic only affording our Planters a constant Supply of Negroe-Servants for the Culture of their Lands in the Produce of Sugars, Tobacco, Rice, Rum ... Fustick, Pimento, and all other our Plantation-Produce: So that the extensive Employment of our Shipping in, to, and from America, the great Brood of Seamen consequent thereupon, and the daily Bread of the most considerable Part of our British Manufacturers, are owing primarily to the Labour of Negroes; who, as they were the first happy Instruments of raising our Plantations; so their Labour only can support and preserve them, and render them still more and more profitable to their Mother-Kingdom. The Negroe-Trade therefore, and the natural Consequences resulting from it, may be justly esteemed an inexhaustible Fund of Wealth and Naval Power to this Nation. And by the Overplus of Negroes above what we have served our own Plantations, we have drawn likewise no inconsiderable quantities of Treasure from the Spaniards, who are settled on the Continent of America; not only for Negroes furnished them from Jamaica, but by the late Assiento Contract with the Crown of Spain; which may probably again be revived, upon a Peace being concluded with that Kingdom. What renders the Negroe-Trade still more estimable and important is, that near Nine-tenths of those Negroes are paid for in Africa with British Produce and Manufactures only; and the Remainder with East-India Commodities. We send no Specie or Bullion to pay for the Products of Africa, but, 'tis certain, we bring from thence very large Quantities of Gold; and not only that but Wax and Ivory; the one serves for a foreign Export without the least Detriment to our ownProduct; the other is manufactured at Home, and afterwards carried to foreign Markets, to no little Advantage both to the Nation and the Traders. From which Facts, the Trade to Africa may very truly be said to be, as it were, all Profit to the Nation; the direct Trade thither affords a considerable national Ballance in our Favour, and is apparently attended with such a Series of advantagious Consequences, that no other Branch whatever of our foreign Traffic admits of. And it may be worth Consideration, that while our Plantations depend only on Planting by Negroe-Servants, they will neither depopulate our own Country, become independent of her Dominion, or any way interfere with the Interests of the British Manufacturer; Merchant, or Landed Gentleman: Whereas were we under the Necessity of supplying our Colonies with White-Men instead of Blacks, they would not fail being in a Capacity to interfere with the Manufacturers of this Nation, in Time to shake off their Dependency thereon, and prove as injurious to the Landed, and Trading-Interests as ever they have hitherto been beneficial. Many are prepossessed against this Trade, thinking it a barbarous, inhuman, and unlawful Traffic for a Christian Country to Trade in Blacks; to which I would beg leave to observe; that though the odious Appellation of Slaves in annexed to this Trade, it being called by some the slave-Trade, yet it does not appear from the best Enquiry I have been able to make, that the State of those People is changed for the worse, by being Servants to our British Planters in America; they are certainly treated with great Lenity and Humanity: And as the Improvement of the Planter's Estates depends upon due Care being take of their Healths and Lives, I cannot but think their Condition is much bettered to what it was in their own Country. Besides, the Negroe-Princes in Africa, 'tis well known, are in perpetual War with each other; and since before they had this Method of disposing of their Prisoners of War to Christian Merchants, they were wont not only to be applied to inhuman Sacrifices, but to extream Torture and Barbarity, their Transplantation must certainly be a Melioration of their Condition; provided living in a civilized Christian Country, is better than living among Savages: Nay, if Life be preferable to Torment and cruel Death, their State cannot, with any Colour of Reason, be presumed to be worsted. But I never heard it said that the Lives of Negroes in the Servitude of our Planters were less tolerable then those of Colliers and Miners in all Christian Countries. However, while our Rivals in Trade receive great national Emolument by the Labour of these People, this Objection will be of little Weight with those who have the Interest of their Country at Heart; or indeed the Welfare of the Negroes. But to resume the Subject. As the present Prosperity and Splendor of the British Colonies have been owing to Negroe-Labour; so not only their future Advancement, but even their very Being depends upon our pursuing the same Measures in this Respect as our Competitors do. That our Colonies are capable of very great Improvements, by the proper Application of the Labour of Blacks, has been urged by the most experienced Judges of Commerce. And if it be good Policy to purchase as little from, and sell as much