This broadside is an icon of the antislavery moment in England and the United States. It appeared after Parliament passed an act in 1788 that limited the number of slaves that could be transported on a ship and made visually striking the inhumanity of the statistics in the explanatory text. By the end of the 18th century, more than 200,000 copies had been issued. The support it generated helped to end the slave trade (but not slavery) in the British Empire in 1807. Acquired with support from Sidney Lapidus, Class of 1959. Rare Book Division.

FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION: See this item’s catalog record, with a larger image of the broadside.