In this book, Kenneth Morgan provides the most comprehensive account of the abolition of the slave trade to the United States since W. E. B. Du Bois's 1896 The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America, 1638–1970. Utilizing a wider range of resources and exploring the economic, social, moral, and political considerations, Morgan creates a multi-layered account that explains why abolition was a protracted affair that proceeded by degrees over nearly half a century. He appraises the role of abolitionist individuals, groups, and societies in bringing abolition to the forefront of public discussion across North America, and the decisive role of the US constitution and the constitutional convention that eventually led to proscription in 1808, which made abolition constitutionally possible.

‘In this deeply researched, well-written and accessible book, Kenneth Morgan highlights the dynamic, often erratic effort to end the slave trade to the US. Building on the pioneering work of W.E.B. DuBois, Morgan’s work provides an important historical account of the movement to end the slave trade.’

Julie L. Holcomb - author of Moral Commerce: Quakers and the Transatlantic Boycott of the Slave Labor Economy and editor of Quaker History

‘This book offers by far the best guide through the maze of colonial, state, and federal legislation on the transatlantic slave trade. Kenneth Morgan has done the field a great favor.’

Sean M. Kelley - University of Essex

‘Proscription By Degrees is the most significant addition to scholarship on the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to have appeared in a great many years. Morgan’s excellent book will become required reading for everyone interested in this subject.’

Simon P. Newman - Professor Emeritus, University of Glasgow