Abolition of the Slave Trade Bicentennial 2007

The 25th of March 2007 marks the bicentenary of the passage of the Abolition Act, 1807. While this did not result in the abolition of slavery as an institution, it was the first significant step towards the end of slave trading in and to the British colonies. It also laid foundations for the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which promised freedom to all slaves in the British Empire. However, under the act although thousands of enslaved people in the British West Indies were no longer legally slaves after 1 August 1834, they still had to work as unpaid apprentices for their former masters, only gaining freedom at midnight on 31 July 1838.

The Ignored no More campaign reflects on the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on the lives of Londoners. It has three key themes: Commemorating, Understanding and Overcoming.

The wealth that Britain gained directly and indirectly from the transatlantic slave trade, helped to finance the Industrial Revolution in England (see the works of Eric Williams, Joseph Inikori and others). It also generated huge wealth for the aristocracy, and helped the City of London become the financial capital it is today. Few Londoners now understand the extent of Britain's involvement in the slave trade, and the fact that London's association was both longer and economically more significant that that of any other British city.

The campaign will highlight this fact and how the legacy of slavery is part of the economic, social, political and cultural fabric of London, playing a key role in its development as a 'world city'.


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Home The history of slavery London and the slave trade The anti-slavery campaign in London What's on in London? Webcasts Useful links Resources	Abolition of the Slave Trade Bicentennial 2007 The 25th of March 2007 marks the bicentenary of the passage of the Abolition Act, 1807. While this did not result in the abolition of slavery as an institution, it was the first significant step towards the end of slave trading in and to the British colonies. It also laid foundations for the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which promised freedom to all slaves in the British Empire. However, under the act although thousands of enslaved people in the British West Indies were no longer legally slaves after 1 August 1834, they still had to work as unpaid apprentices for their former masters, only gaining freedom at midnight on 31 July 1838. The Ignored no More campaign reflects on the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on the lives of Londoners. It has three key themes: Commemorating, Understanding and Overcoming. The wealth that Britain gained directly and indirectly from the transatlantic slave trade, helped to finance the Industrial Revolution in England (see the works of Eric Williams, Joseph Inikori and others). It also generated huge wealth for the aristocracy, and helped the City of London become the financial capital it is today. Few Londoners now understand the extent of Britain's involvement in the slave trade, and the fact that London's association was both longer and economically more significant that that of any other British city. The campaign will highlight this fact and how the legacy of slavery is part of the economic, social, political and cultural fabric of London, playing a key role in its development as a 'world city'.	Robert Wedderburn - The Horrors of Slavery 'I thank my God that through a long life of hardship and adversity, I have ever been free in both mind and body: and have always raised my voice on behalf of my enslaved countrymen' Key facts 1/3 of Africans who were captured, enslaved and shipped to the plantations died within the first 3 years of their life on the plantation.