‘That barbarous traffic’

Abstract

This chapter looks at the extent of Glasgow’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and the key figures in Glasgow who sought to change, support, or comment on it. Adam Smith, rooted in the Glasgow Enlightenment, is shown to be anti-slavery, but Smith’s own complicated cultural memory is also brought into view. Key objects such as the Description of a Slave Ship and the Glassford Family Portrait help frame the discussion.