The abolition of slave trade refers to the steps or acts stopping slave trade and slavery. The crusade/campaign of stopping slave trade in East Africa began way back in the 18th i.e. 1772 and a number of factors contributed to the abolition of slave trade as seen below;
- The writings of Adam Smith. He was an economist from Scotland who opposed exploitation of workers and discouraged the use of slave labor such ideas later influenced the abolition of slave trade and slavery in Europe as employers/factory owners sought to use capital intensive techniques of production (Machines).
- The role of William Wilberforce i.e.; he was a British humanitarian activist and a politician who openly rose up to de-campaign slave trade as being evil and exploitative. With time he convinced the British parliament to pass a law that was abolishing slave trade and he became leading campaigners of slave trade and slavery.
- The American independence; it introduced the idea of democracy and freedom to all people. It encouraged most of oppressed to demand for their right including slaves. That had been exploited to America later the idea of the war spread to the whole world and were used to de-campaign slave trade and slavery.
- The role of press and public opinions, the press made reports and published them through journalists, explorers, humanitarians etc. in the newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, journals such reports showed how slave trade and caravans made Africa to suffer. The British became interested in the abolition of slave to stop slave trade and misery in East Africa.
- The effective abolition of slave trade in West Africa led to the abolition of slave trade in West Africa became a source of slaves as many slave dealers escaped to East Africa were the crusade/campaign had not been launched. However this forced the British abolishment to come to East Africa to abolish it to.
- The ideas of the 1789 French revolution. The quality liberty fraternity which encouraged people to de-campaign just i.e. in France where the ideas of feudalism forced many people to demand for liberty fraternity. This explains the revolutionary fathers came to East Africa to stop the evil practices.
- The rise of political thinkers i.e.; JJ Rousseau who advocated for equality of all women, condemned the exploitation of peasants and advocated the protection with the rights of all people. Although JJ Rousseau was a French philosopher, his ideas laid a firm foundation which was used to de-campaign slavery and slave trade to the oppressed people in East Africa.
- The rise of humanitarian organizations elsewhere basically church organizations i.e. – LMS, CMS and other humanitarian agencies that declared or announced slave trade illegal and inhuman. Through their teachings, they forced of the British government to champion the campaign against the slave trade in East Africa.
- The growth of evangelical movements; these were movements from Europe that led the abolition crusade because such movements declared slave trade as sinful or evil, Barbaric and in human,
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