The Unnatural Trade - Naturalists and the Slave Trade

Explore a thought-provoking lecture examining how British abolitionists in the late 18th century came to view the slave trade and colonial slavery as fundamentally unnatural. Discover how natural histories by Richard Ligon, Hans Sloane, and Griffith Hughes initially served as primary sources of information about slavery for British and colonial readers, often taking an ambivalent or pro-slavery stance to accommodate colonists' interests. Learn how abolitionists like Anthony Benezet, Thomas Clarkson, and Olaudah Equiano later reinterpreted these natural histories to build compelling arguments against slavery, inadvertently shifting exploitation toward African and Caribbean natural resources. Delivered by Brycchan Carey, Wolfson Professor of Literature, Culture, and History at Northumbria University, this presentation draws from his book examining the intersection of slavery, abolition, and environmental writing from 1650-1807, offering valuable insights into the historical relationship between naturalist perspectives and the abolition movement.