Coolie Volume by Year/Nation

This model shows the composition of coolies shipped by the flag the ship flew and by the number of coolies being transported. This helps to show the increase in volume of the Coolie Trade and the changing composition of those nations involved in the trade.

For example, by clicking on the American label on the Legend, it becomes clear that American involvement in the Coolie Trade ended in 1862. In this year, the American Congress passed An act to prohibit the "coolie trade" by American citizens in American vessels, which prohibited the transport of coolies on any ships owned or operated by American citizens. Prior to the passage of this law, American ships had been heavily involved in the Coolie Trade, which was problematic for many Americans due to the parallels between the Coolie Trade and the African Slave Trade of the earlier half of the 19th Century. The full text of the 1862 Anti-Coolie Law can be found here.

Raw data from Meagher, Arnold J. 2008. The Coolie Trade : The Traffic in Chinese Laborers to Latin America, 1847-1874. Xlibris Corporation.