An evaluation of the obstacles to abolition

Economic Factors

The profitability of slavery was a significant impediment to abolition. Many colonies depended heavily on the labour-intensive agricultural sectors like sugar, tobacco, and cotton, which relied on the work of enslaved people.
Investments in slaves were considerable, and their loss could have been financially devastating. Plantation owners were not willing to lose their ‘property’, and the governments were wary about compensating them to prevent economic instability.
The significant role played by the slave trade in the economy of England, with many industries (such as shipbuilding, rope-making, and banking) indirectly benefiting from it, meant there was a lot of resistance to abolition.

Political Factors

The power of pro-slavery lobbying groups was a substantial hurdle. For example, in Britain, the West Indies lobby, which represented the interests of Caribbean sugar planters, had considerable influence in parliament and was able to resist abolition attempts.
** Fragmented political opinion** slowed down the abolition process. Not all politicians favoured ending the trade, and in countries like America, with a political structure that provided southern, slave-holding states with significant power, achieving political accord was challenging.

Social and Cultural Factors

Racial prejudices and beliefs about the inferiority of Africans hindered abolition. These views, entrenched in society, led many to accept the idea of Africans being suited to slavery.
Widespread belief in social stability was another obstacle. Many thought that sudden freedom would lead to chaos and destabilisation, especially in regions with a high proportion of slaves.

Global Tensions

International rivalries and conflicts often drove the continuation of the trade. Countries were wary of giving up the practice if their rivals didn’t, for fear of losing economic or naval power. The Napoleonic wars, for instance, often disrupted the momentum of the abolition movement.

Religious Factors

Various religious institutions, particularly in the North American colonies, owned slaves or endorsed slavery. Interpretations of religious texts were also used to justify the slave trade, making the abolition process more complex.

Remember, despite these obstacles, the abolition movement managed to gain momentum throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, leading to the eventual abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. The journey to abolition was a complex interaction of economic, political, social, global, and religious factors.