The topic of my research is the effectiveness and contribution of the 1807 Bill in the fight against slavery. My own perspectives and opinions might greatly impact the topic I chose and how I may approach studying it. First of all, I am sure that slavery was one of the most challenging and pernicious moments not only in the US, but in the history of the world. Additionally, this phenomenon has largely influenced the development of discrimination against certain ethnic and racial groups, which negatively affected cultural and social development. This influence is still evident in many countries of the world, especially in the USA, which makes this topic the most acute. My personal perspectives and values in this case may influence which facts can be considered more carefully and which opinions can be emphasized.
Significant historical research in relation to current events lies in the need to understand the process of formation of discrimination that exists at the present time. In particular, it is important to consider how slavery contributed to the development of discrimination and what harmful influence this phenomenon had before and has at the present time. Additionally, the historical study of this topic allows us to emphasize the importance of respecting and protecting human rights. Consideration of the role of the 1807 Bill in the process of abolition of slavery is important for understanding the mechanisms of combating discrimination in modern society.
The main primary source in this study is the text of the 1807 Slave Trade Abolition Bill (An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, 1807), which is the center of the argument. Although the text is the basis for the discussion, secondary sources are required for the consideration of the various perspectives on the topic in question. Particularly, the works by Burin (2012), Finkelman (2014), Frost (2012), Martinez (2012), Roberts (2013) are used. These sources allow you to consider the topic in the historical perspective and evaluate its influence in the context of modern events. However, in order to understand the influence of the 1807 Bill on the further development of the movement of slavery abolition, it is also important to consider the background and the prerequisites for its occurrence. To do this, it is also important to use earlier primary sources of the period that talk about the formation of debate regarding the need to abolish slavery in the House of Commons. These sources include books by Woodfall (1792) and Cobbett (1817). Another important primary source is the Commons Settings records taking place in February of 1807, shortly before the adoption of Bill (Slave Trade Abolition Bill, 1807). They give important information about the attitude of The House of Commons to the problem and the proposed legislation.
Building Context to Address Questions
The context of the historical event, the adoption of the 1807 Bill aimed at abolition of the slavery in the UK, tells the story of what perspectives on slavery existed in the society of that time. In particular, the historical context allows the research to underline opinions of members of the Parliament on the phenomenon and the reasons for its abolition. The adoption of 1807 Bill may be connected to the current process of combating racial discrimination, since it illustrates the process of a gradual transition of society from reluctance to a change in the established order to recognize the need for social transformations. The influence of this Act on the history of the abolition of slavery allows to trace the history of the struggle to restore and protect humanity rights.
The central historical figures who participated in these events were Lord Howick, General Gascoyne, William Roscoe, Stephen Lushington, William Manning and other members of the House of Commons (Slave Trade Abolition Bill, 1807). These people directly participated in the adoption process of the 1807 Bill and discussed the potential effects of the adoption of this legislation. From the discussions, it is clear that many of the members of the House of Commons are concerns about the need to abolish slavery in the UK. In particular, they argued about the possible negative influence on the economic situation of various groups of the population that benefit from ownership of slaves. Some of the participants nevertheless emphasized the need to liberate slaves to recognize their human rights. The motivation of these people in a historical event lies in the impossibility of the ignoring of the problem of slavery and the gradual development of the movement of abolition both in the world and in the UK.
Examining How Bias Impacts Narrative
The most influential narrative was proposed by Martinez (2012) as the author explored the history of the formation and strengthening of human rights in history. This work explores how people and society gradually moved towards the recognition and protection of human rights for various groups. This narrative largely affects the formation of arguments in the framework of historical research as it proposes the context in which it is possible to consider the influence of a historical event on the fight against the discrimination.
Potentially Biased resources can affect knowledge about the historical and current event through the representation of different opinions. In particular, the perspectives of the members of the House of Commons can emphasize generally negative attitude of the slave owners of that time to the idea of slavery abolition. More modern sources that investigate the impact of legislation on the modern problem of discrimination can, on the contrary, emphasize the importance of this decision to struggle human rights ignoring the details of the historical context.
In the context of historical research, the voices of slaves, whose fate was decided at that time, were not recorded. In particular, their opinion on this problem was not described in detail. The debate regarding the abolition of slavery was mainly conducted between slaveholders, but did not concern the most affected group of people. In this regard, it is almost impossible to consider the historical problem from this perspective, although the study of the modern phenomenon of discrimination allows to incorporate the opinion of the people subject to it.
Connecting the Past With the Present
The study of the problem of discrimination from a historical perspective allowed me to better understand its origin as it proposes to consider the debate regarding the human rights existing in society. The historical event emphasizes that the process of eliminating discrimination and recognition of the universality of human rights took place gradually and often met with resistance. It is important to be aware of my assumptions, beliefs, and values as this allows me to reduce the influence of bias when considering any topic and take into account the arguments represented by different sides involved in the events. Being a more historically informed citizen may help me understand contemporary issues, as it provides awareness of the results of society’s experiences. Moreover, it can form a more conscious approach to viewing current challenges or questions in the world.
References
An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. (1807). Electronic Scholarly Publishing. Web.
Burin, E. (2012). The Slave Trade Act of 1819: A new look at colonization and the politics of slavery. American Nineteenth Century History, 13(1). Web.
Cobbett, W. (1817). The parliamentary history of England, from the earliest period to the year 1803: From which last-mentioned epoch it is continued downwards in the work entitled, “The parliamentary debates.” London: Printed by T. C. Hansard. Web.
Finkelman, P. (2014). Slavery and the founders: Race and liberty in the age of Jefferson.
Routledge. Frost, J. W. (2012). Quaker antislavery: From dissidence to sense of the meeting. Quaker History, 101(1), 12-33. Web.
Martinez, J. S. (2012). Human rights and history. Harvard Law Review Forum, 126, 221-240. Web.
Roberts, J. (2013). Slavery and the Enlightenment in the British Atlantic, 1750-1807. Cambridge UP.
Slave Trade Abolition Bill (1807). UK Parliament. Web.
Woodfall, W. (1792). The debate on a motion for the abolition of the slave-trade: In the House of Commons on Monday the Second of April, 1792. Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons.