John Dawson (slave trader)
John Dawson (died 1812) was a Liverpool slave trader. In the period between 1783 and 1792, Dawson and his partner Peter Baker, were the largest firm of slave traders in the United Kingdom. The firm Baker and Dawson had a contract with the Spanish Government to supply slaves to Spanish America. They estimated the slaves had a value of £350,000. In 1790, Dawson owned 19 slave ships, with an average value of £10,000. Dawson was declared bankrupt in 1793 owing £500,000.