IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 101 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the bicentennial of the 1807 Abolition 

of the Slave Trade Act, which banned the slave trade in the British 

Empire, allowed for the search and seizure of ships suspected of transporting enslaved people, and provided compensation for the freedom 

of slaves, should be commemorated. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 27, 2007 

Mr. RANGEL submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the bicentennial of 

the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which banned 

the slave trade in the British Empire, allowed for the 

search and seizure of ships suspected of transporting 

enslaved people, and provided compensation for the freedom of slaves, should be commemorated. 

Whereas the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which banned 

the slave trade in the British Empire, allowed for the 

search and seizure of ships suspected of transporting 

enslaved people, and provided compensation for the freedom of slaves, passed the British Parliament on March 

25, 1807; 


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•HCON 101 IH 

Whereas the passage of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 

in 1807 led to the full abolishment of slavery in the British Empire with the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act 

in 1833; 

Whereas activities abolishing slavery in Great Britain were 

instrumental to activities abolishing slavery in the United 

States; 

Whereas approximately 12 million African men, women, and 

children were transported in the slave trade from 1501 

to 1860; 

Whereas Africans transported in the slave trade were permanently separated from their families, held captive, and 

subject to severely inhumane treatment on ships; 

Whereas Africans transported in the slave trade were transported to Europe, the Caribbean islands, and North, 

South, and Central America in over 30,000 voyages; 

Whereas the British participated in the slave trade as owners 

of ships, enslaved people, plantations, and a variety of 

commercial activities relating to the trafficking of human 

beings; 

Whereas the free labor of enslaved people from Africa substantially contributed to the wealth and economic growth 

of Great Britain and was a key element of foreign commerce; 

Whereas in 1772 the Somerset case declared that slavery did 

not exist under English law; 

Whereas in 1778 slavery was declared illegal in Scotland; 

Whereas the Quakers established the Committee on Slave 

Trade in 1783 which consisted of 23 members; six members of the Committee on Slave Trade created and shared 


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•HCON 101 IH 

anti-slavery information and lobbied the British Parliament for the abolition of slavery; 

Whereas a bill to abolish the slave trade passed the British 

House of Commons, but was rejected in the British 

House of Lords in 1805; 

Whereas in 1808 the British Royal Navy established the 

West Africa Squadron to enforce the ban on transporting 

slaves; the West Africa Squadron is credited with capturing 595 slave ships between 1843 and 1861; 

Whereas in 1833, enslaved people in the British Empire became free with the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act; 

Whereas in 1842, Britain and the United States signed the 

Webster-Ashburton Treaty which banned the slave trade 

on high seas; 

Whereas slavery was finally abolished in the United States in 

1865; and 

Whereas the United States will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 

2008: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the bi3 centennial of the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, 

4 which banned the slave trade in the British Empire, al5 lowed for the search and seizure of ships suspected of 

6 transporting enslaved people, and provided compensation 

7 for the freedom of slaves, should be commemorated. 

Æ 


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