A dissuasion to Great-Britain and the colonies, from the slave trade to Africa

In this impassioned pamphlet, a British-born writer calls on the public of Great Britain and its colonies to confront the contradictions of the African slave trade. Drawing on personal observation of enslaved people in America, he weaves together moral, legal, and economic arguments that detail how the trade harms both the victims and the societies that sustain it. The work is framed as a “dissuasion,” positioning itself as a clear‑sighted plea for liberty and a practical guide for moving toward a lawful, humane relationship with Africa.

Written in the cadence of a sermon, the author's voice is earnest and conversational, inviting readers to set aside bias and judge the matter on conscience alone. He urges fellow citizens to see abolition as a shared responsibility, not merely a distant ideal, and offers a hopeful vision of a future in which freedom can be extended without the stain of slavery. This rare early‑American perspective provides a vivid snapshot of the debates that would eventually reshape the Atlantic world.