Up until the 1st May 1807, the Slave Trade had been an important source of income for the British Empire. Britain had relied on the Triangular Trade since 1662 and benefited in the centuries that followed until in May 1807, Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Bill in the House of Laws by 283 to 16. There were four main reasons as to why the slave trade was abolished; these reasons fell under one of these factors: the work of individuals; the work of groups; economics and fear. This essay will discuss the above categories and make a judge which one was the main contributor to the abolition of the slave trade in Britain.
             To begin with, the first factor this essay will explore is the work of individuals. The work of individuals certainly contributed to the abolition of the slave trade and the types of individuals varied from former slaves to Members of Parliament. John Newton, a former captain of a slave ship, gave evidence and wrote diary entries about the horrible and tragic things that occurred on slave ships; Newton also wrote "Amazing Grace", a song widely known today. Olaudah Equiano was an extremely influential person in the 18th century- he was one of the few slaves that had managed to purchase his freedom. His heart rendering story became public when he published his autobiography in 1789. Equiano toured Britain, wrote letters to MP's and worked with white abolitionists- he dedicated the remainder of his life to the abolition of the slave trade. One of the greatest campaigners for abolition of slavery was Granville Sharp. In 1765 Sharp saw a black teenager waiting for free medical attention; the youth was almost blind, could barely walk and had a swollen head. Sharp introduced himself to the youth and learned his name was Jonathon Strong. Strong had been brought to Britain as a slave and had been badly beaten by his owner. Granville took Strong to a hospital where he recovered; two years later St...