Merchants and commercial interests in northern colonies, such as Massachusetts and Rhode
Island, were opposed to the slave trade and did not benefit from it.

This is false because the merchants and commercial interests benefitted from it.

Massachusetts was well known to partake in slave trade in this era. The state had a slave population that was about 2.2% of the whole population. These slaves were mostly found in Massachusetts's industrial towns.

Also the people of Rhode Islands were involved in the trade of slaves. Some of the slaves were bought by owners of farm plantations

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True. Most slave owning states had a vested interest in continuing slavery while others simply did not.

Explanation:

States like Massachusetts and Rhode Island were either industrialized or relied on thing other than farming for sustenance.

As slaves were not employed in these parts it was easier for people there to campaign against slavery.

Down south, the white farmers relied on slaves for unpaid labor and feared that they will lose massive amount of money and workforce if slavery was outlawed.

So vested interests did play a huge role in advocacy.

it refers to race, i am pretty sure this was a popular term in nazi germany or something.