The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808), Volume II

In the turbulent years after 1788, a determined investigator sets out on a grueling tour of England's southern coast, tasked with gathering fresh testimony for a parliamentary committee probing the Atlantic slave trade. He drafts a detailed questionnaire covering everything from African production and the mechanics of capture to the harsh conditions faced by sailors on slave ships. As heated debates resume in the House of Commons, his reports become a pivotal piece of evidence in the fight to brand the trade a criminal enterprise.

The narrative follows his visits to bustling ports such as Poole, Bristol, and Manchester, where he helps form local committees that echo the efforts underway in London. Through conversations with shipwrights, retired mariners, and even Quaker activists, he uncovers stark contradictions between official statements and the lived realities of the trade. The book offers a vivid, documentary‑style portrait of the early abolitionist movement, revealing how painstaking inquiry and grassroots organization began to shift public opinion.