"The correspondence of Stephen Fuller between 1788 and 1795 and an introduction that sets the context for the letters together provide a much needed account of how its supporters managed to preserve the trade for a decade or more. While reflecting the priority that Jamaica and the West India interest attached to fending off abolition, Fuller's correspondence addresses a host of the islands' other concerns. Among these were the need to provide for the islands' defense against foreign enemies and restive slaves; to beat back challenges to their commercial privileges; and to counter indictments of the planter regime by taking steps to promote higher birth rates among slaves and by adopting stronger, more humane slave codes. In confronting these challenges, Caribbean elites and their British allies discovered that a substantial portion of Britain's leadership no longer shared their priorities"--Provided by publisher.