BRITISH ABOLITION AND ITS IMPACT ON SLAVE PRICES ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF AFRICA, 1783-1850

This article challenges the widely held view that slave prices in Afri ca fell substantially and permanently after Britain abolished its slav e trade in 1807. Examination of slave-price data shows that, when allo wance is made for movements in prices of trade goods bartered for slav es, real slave prices fell sharply between 1807 and 1820 but that the fall was confined to West Africa. In West Central Africa prices remain ed steady before 1820. Thereafter, prices rose strongly in both areas, and between 1830 and 1850 prices were generally close to the levels r eached between 1783 and 1807, the height of the Atlantic slave trade.