The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America

The work offers a meticulously researched survey of America’s early attempts to curb the African slave trade, drawing on an extensive collection of statutes, congressional records, society reports, and personal narratives. Written during a fellowship at Harvard, the author’s scholarly approach emphasizes legal and economic sources, acknowledging the gaps that still challenge a full statistical picture. By tracing the evolution of regulations from colonial charters through the first national legislation, the monograph situates the suppression effort within the broader context of colonial policy and the rise of American slavery.

Beginning with the English origins of the trade, the study follows the shifting attitudes of colonial planters, merchants, and legislators, detailing landmark measures such as the 1807 act and the role of the Constitutional Convention. It also examines the international dimensions of the slave‑trade debate and the mounting tensions that would later culminate in the Civil War. Throughout, the narrative balances detailed legal analysis with a clear sense of the moral and political forces shaping early American opposition to the trade.