Academic contributions Williams specialised in the study of slavery. Many Western academics focused on his chapter on the abolition of the slave trade, but that is just a small part of his work. In his 1944 book, Capitalism and Slavery, Williams argued that the British government's passage of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 was motivated primarily by economic concerns rather than by humanitarian ones. Williams also argued that by extension, so was the emancipation of the slaves and the blockade of Africa, and that as industrial capitalism and wage labour began to expand, eliminating the competition from wage-free slavery became economically advantageous.
AcademIC contRibUTionS WilLiaMs SpECIALised in The stUdy oF SlAveRY. MaNy WesTern aCAdemiCs fOcUsed on hIS chaptEr oN ThE abOlITion of the slAVe tradE, but thAt is juST a SMall part Of hiS work. In hiS 1944 bOoK, caPitaLiSM and slaVERY, WiLLiamS arguEd ThAT the bRitIsH GOvernMENt'S passaGE of THE slaVE TrADe Act In 1807 WaS MotIvAtEd PrImArily by Economic conCernS ratHEr THaN By HuManitArIan onES. williAmS aLso aRgUed tHaT by ExteNsion, so wAS the emAncIpaTiOn of the Slaves and tHE bloCkAde of africa, anD tHat as iNduStRiaL caPitalIsm AnD wage laBouR bEgan tO eXpanD, elimINAtinG thE cOmPetItion From waGe-fReE slavery Became ECOnomIcaLly AdvAnTAgeOus.