By what means and with what success was the slave trade suppressed?

In the 1800s, countries began to ban either the trading of slaves or slavery itself. There were attempts to stop the trading of slaves in the 1800s.

The British used their navy and their government to accomplish this. The British navy would identify the routes that slave traders used. Then, the navy would patrol those routes and seize ships suspected of being involved in the trading of slaves. The British would also attempt to negotiate treaties with countries in order to get them to reduce the trading of slaves. The British also tried to stop the slave trade where the trade was occurring. The British would identify the places where slaves were being traded and station their military at that location.

The United States passed laws banning the trading of slaves. Congress banned international slave trading in the early 1800s. In 1850, slave trading was banned in Washington, DC.

There was some success in reducing the slave trade. Treaties were signed, and ships with slaves were captured. However, slave trading was very profitable, and slave traders didn’t stop trading slaves. Some countries also wouldn’t negotiate treaties with Great Britain to help reduce the trading of slaves. Thus, while slave trading decreased, it didn’t complete disappear until the 1860s.