What is a reason slave trade ended?

Answer 1

Slave trade, in a sense has never truly ended. And there may be places including in the "Sex Industry" and perhaps some third world nations where it is still practiced. However, it is no longer LEGALLY practiced in the USA, Europe, as well as most developed countries.

The end of Slavery in the Developed World would be largely due to social changes. It would be noted that most European countries abolished slavery long before it was done in the USA, and the European influence would have helped steer the USA towards abolishing slavery.

As people started striving towards the recognition of basic human rights, slavery became more and more problematic.

For example, the US Declaration of Independence had the line "All Men are Created Equal". But, initially that wasn't considered to apply to Women, Native Americans, and those of African American heritage. Yet, perhaps that was a seed that led to an ideology that led to the demise of slavery.

Industrialization may also have started leading towards the end of slavery with changes from skilled to unskilled labor as well as more mechanization in farming and the processing of farm products. It should also be noted that slaves weren't cheap with the average slave costing thousands of dollars in 18th century money.

Over time the USA became very divided with the Northern states abolishing slavery, but perhaps allowing indentured servitude. Southern States believed that slavery was necessary for farm labor.

It is unclear whether Abraham Lincoln would actually have abolished slavery had the South not attempted to secede from nation. In many senses he was a centrist. And the social/political climate of the time was to maintain a tenuous equality between the slave states of the south and the anti-slavery states of the north. However, as part of the war it became a political issue in which both Northerners (Yankees) as well as many southern slaves expected the abolition of slavery. And with the abolition of slavery it helped recruit the efforts of African Americans in both the north and the south towards the war efforts.