For Capital, For God, or For Liberty (Paperback)

This book examines anti-slavery activities in the cities of Liverpool and Manchester, and their shared hinterland from 1787 to 1834. The changing economic and social structures of the region provide a backdrop to consider activities during the campaign against the slave trade up to 1807, and the campaign for emancipation, which achieved success in 1834. Existing theories of economic decline and economic sacrifice to explain Britain's abandoning of the slave system do not fully explain the campaigns' success. This work explores the complex interplay of commercial, religious and political interests in the region, in an attempt to gain a clearer picture of the forces that motivated protagonists' activities. The region was extremely important to the slave system and this centrality is mirrored by its importance in driving the abolitionist campaigns. By considering the changing political and economic picture in Liverpool, Manchester and their hinterland alongside case studies of important individuals, the book provides a clearer understanding of the role of the two cities in the anti-slavery campaigns.