African Anti-Slavery Operations of the United States

African Slave Trade Patrol
Part of the Suppression of the Slave Trade
USS Perry confronting the slaver Martha off Ambiz in 1850.
Date 1819 - 1861 Location Africa, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea Result Largely ineffective; in 42 years only about 100 suspected slave ships were captured
Belligerents
United States	African Slave Traders
Commanders and leaders
Matthew C. Perry George W. Storer William Compton Bolton George H. Perkins Andrew Hull Foote Thomas Crabbe	Jozé Antonio de la Vega Francis Bowen

African Slave Trade Patrol was part of the suppression of the Atlantic slave trade between 1819 and the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861. Due to the abolitionist movement in the United States, a squadron of American navy warships were assigned to catch slave traders in and around Africa. The operations were largely ineffective and after forty-two years only about 100 suspected slave ships were captured.

The first American squadron was sent to Africa in 1819 and for several years after the ships were rotated out, there was not a constant American naval presence off Africa until the 1840s. In the two decades between, very few slave ships were captured as there were not enough United States Navy ships to patrol over 3,000 miles of African coastline, as well as the vast American coasts and the ocean in between. Also, the slavers knew that if they hoisted a Spanish or Portuguese flag they could easily escape pursuit. Congress made it difficult for the navy to keep a small force in Africa until 1842 when the Webster–Ashburton Treaty with Great Britain was signed. Commodore Matthew C. Perry was sent to command the Africa Squadron again after serving as its commander in 1821 in the USS Shark. His arrival marked the beginning of America's growing effectiveness in the suppression though the overall victories were insignificant compared to the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron in the same period. The British captured hundreds of slave ships and fought several naval battles, their success was largely due to the superior size of their navy and supply bases located in Africa itself. The combined efforts of both the British and the United States successfully freed thousands of slaves but the trade continued on and the operation was expanded to the West Indies, Brazil and the Indian Ocean. The Brazil Squadron, the West Indies Squadron, the East India Squadron and the later Home Squadron were all responsible for capturing at least a few slavers each.

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