THE SUPPRESSION OF THE
AFRICAN SLAVE-TRADE
TO THE
UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
1638–1870

Volume I

Harvard Historical Studies

1896

Longmans, Green, and Co.

New York

Preface

This monograph was begun during my residence asRogers Memorial Fellow at Harvard University, and isbased mainly upon a study of the sources, i.e., national,State, and colonial statutes, Congressional documents, reportsof societies, personal narratives, etc. The collection of lawsavailable for this research was, I think, nearly complete; onthe other hand, facts and statistics bearing on the economicside of the study have been difficult to find, and my conclusionsare consequently liable to modification from this source.

The question of the suppression of the slave-trade is so intimatelyconnected with the questions as to its rise, the systemof American slavery, and the whole colonial policy of theeighteenth century, that it is difficult to isolate it, and at thesame time to avoid superficiality on the one hand, and unscientificnarrowness of view on the other. While I could nothope entirely to overcome such a difficulty, I neverthelesstrust that I have succeeded in rendering this monograph asmall contribution to the scientific study of slavery and theAmerican Negro.

I desire to express my obligation to Dr. Albert BushnellHart, of Harvard University, at whose suggestion I began thiswork and by whose kind aid and encouragement I havebrought it to a close; also I have to thank the trustees of theJohn F. Slater Fund, whose appointment made it possible totest the conclusions of this study by the general principles laiddown in German universities.

W.E. BURGHARDT Du BOIS.

Wilberforce University,
March, 1896.

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Contents