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Squadron: Ending the African Slave Trade

John Broich (Goodreads Author)

3.84 · Rating details · 19 ratings · 7 reviews

Despite the British being early abolitionists, a significant slave trade remained down the east coast of Africa through the mid-1800s, even after the Civil War ended it in the United States. What further undermined the British Empire was that many of the vessels involved in the trade were themselves British ships.

The Royal Navy’s response was to dispatch a squadron to patr ...more

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Hardcover, 336 pages

Published November 28th 2017 by Harry N. Abrams (first published November 7th 2017)

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May 07, 2018 Martin rated it really liked it

Squadron is a very readable account of a little-known facet of the trade in African slaves in the Indian Ocean. Long after the trade was made illegal in the British Empire in 1807, followed by the USA in 1809 and most other European countries in the next ten years, the ownership of slaves remained legal in many countries for decades. Illegal traders in captured Africans continued to operate. The trans-Atlantic trade had effectively been stopped by the middle of the century, largely by the Royal Squadron is a very readable account of a little-known facet of the trade in African slaves in the Indian Ocean. Long after the trade was made illegal in the British Empire in 1807, followed by the USA in 1809 and most other European countries in the next ten years, the ownership of slaves remained legal in many countries for decades. Illegal traders in captured Africans continued to operate. The trans-Atlantic trade had effectively been stopped by the middle of the century, largely by the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron. In East African countries it was still legal to own, buy and sell slaves within the country and John Broich's interesting book gives us an insight into the effort of a few Royal Navy officers, based in Bombay, to end the illegal transport of African slaves to be sold in many countries around the Indian Ocean and beyond.

Broich's book presents the personal background and beliefs, ethical principles and work of four naval officers, three of whom had served in ships of the West Africa Squadron. He has drawn his material from a very large body of published and archival material (there are over forty pages of notes at the end of the book). The beliefs and motivation of each of these men varied. Some were aware of the dilemma facing the captain of a naval ship chasing a slaver - the latter would often be deliberately driven ashore and although the slavers would escape many of the slaves drowned in the wreck. It sometimes seemed that in attempting to rescue the African slaves, the end result was worse than slavery. British seamen would also be badly wounded or killed in fights with the slavers.

The book covers just a few years: 1868 to about 1874. In this short time Commodore Leopold Heath and his three RN captains determined to end the slave trade out of East Africa. In fascinating detail we read of their difficulties and successes. In 1869 over a thousand slaves were freed. Then the reaction set in, from merchants, traders, officials and rulers whose wealth was partly dependent upon the profitable slave trade. The whole economy of countries around the Indian Ocean, including India, Madagascar and the Gulf States was sustained in considerable measure by slavery. Influential men put a lot of pressure on the British government to restrict the operations of the squadron. Heath and his officers were censured by the Foreign Office and the Treasury. The Admiralty was forced to give them instructions that effectively crippled their anti-slavery patrols. Fortunately, British public opinion sided strongly with Commodore Heath and his squadron and the book ends on a more positive note.

Broich writes in an easy informal style. Sometimes he decorates his text with a nautical word or expression. He does explain some specific ones such as 'stunsail' and 'tonnage', but others such as 'weather gauge' are unexplained. Occasionally nautical terms are wrongly used eg: 'rattled down', 'careened'. These and other errors are minor irritations to the pedantic. They detract little from this important contribution to an understanding of East African slavery. The book has extensive Notes, several helpful maps, a few illustrations, glossaries of important people and of the various ranks and ratings in the navy of that period, and an index.
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Oct 12, 2018 Jimmy rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, history

This is an unlikely book for me to pick up. Yet I did. And I read it through. Fascinating, thorough look at the British Navy's effort to eliminate or at least slow the trade in human beings in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia in the mid-19th century. The author uses a myriad of primary sources, including court records, ships' logs, diaries, books by the ship captains themselves, etc. His detailed research allows him to insert facts such as the weather on a specific day, a person's thoughts abou ...more

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Jul 15, 2018 Lisa rated it really liked it

Recommended to Lisa by: SomaliBookaholic

Shelves: history, c21st, library-book-or-loan, usa

I am indebted to Somali Bookaholic who recommended this book to me in conversation about my review of Petals of Blood. It’s a very interesting book about four British naval captains who in the mid 18th century undertook anti-slavery activity off the African coast without always having had official authority to do so.
Britain had abolished slavery, but still, there was significant trade even after the end of the American Civil War. Some of the ships involved were British operating illegally and so ...more

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Mar 09, 2018 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, non-fiction

3.5 stars.

First, the writing was excellent. Details and events were felt natural and part of the whole narrative rather than a break in the writing.

Two, this was a biography of Meara, Heath, Colomb, and Sulivan more than history but not by much.

Three, I wish the author had started the book with a general overview of slavery, the slave trade from Africa, who took part in that trade, and what happened to support and/or stop the slave trade prior to the squadron starting their work. I felt that I ...more

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Jul 30, 2018 Michael Heath-Caldwell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: family-related, history

John Broich's book looks at one of the last great endeavours to end the slave trade off the east coast of Africa, as carried out by four British naval officers. This book explains some of the other naval officers who appear in Sir Leopold Heath's photo albums so I suppose I should write them up. ...more

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Jan 20, 2022 Dave Clarke rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: militaria-and-subterfuge, non-fiction, history

An amazing and thoroughly well researched tale, let down by exceptionally poor writing, confused chronology, disjointed chapters and sub-sections and a desperate need of a good editor ...

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