论英属殖民地奴隶制废除的原因

On the Cause of the Abolition of British Colonial Slavery

英国政府废除殖民地奴隶制度是英帝国及其殖民地历史发展、演变的结果。英属西印度奴隶制种植园经济在英国市场享有的垄断地位与自由贸易的发展取向背道而驰,注定了奴隶制度的没落;福音主义思想和自由主义政治经济学的传播,逐渐改变了政治家和公众对奴隶制的态度;西印度在英帝国内经济地位的下降,有助于打消政治决策者废除奴隶制度的顾虑。

Slavery was overthrown for economic, political and social reas on s. First, slave- grown commodities monopolizing metropolitan market ran counter to the development of laissez- faire capitalism. Second, the diffuse of humani tarian ideals and capitalist ideology explained the rise of abolitionism. Third , as the role of the West Indies had become less critical to the British economy , it was easier for the ruling elites to adopt antislavery measures.