Between and it successfully freed , Africans bound for a life of enslavement. However, there was still a long way to go. One often overlooked factor in bringing an end to the practice of the slave trade was the role played by those already enslaved. A growing resistance movement was developing amongst the slaves themselves, so much so that the French colony of St Domingue had been seized by the slaves themselves in a dramatic uprising leading to the establishment of Haiti.
Europe was experiencing great upheaval: the French Revolution had brought with it ideas of the equal rights of man and challenged the previously accepted social hierarchies. The impact of this new European social conscience and self-awareness also impacted enslaved communities who had always put up resistance but now felt emboldened to claim their rights.
Toussaint Louverture leading the revolt in Haiti was not the only example of such a stirring of feelings; revolts in other locations followed including Barbados in , Demerara in and Jamaica in The Baptist War, as it became known, in Jamaica originated with a peaceful strike led by the Baptist Minister Samuel Sharpe, however it was brutally suppressed which led to loss of life and property.
Such was the extent of the violence that the British Parliament was forced to hold two inquiries that would make important inroads in establishing the Slavery Abolition Act a year later. Official medallion of the British Anti-Slavery Society. As part of this group, a range of campaigns involving meetings, posters and speeches were arranged, helping to get the word out and draw attention to the issue. This would ultimately prove successful as it brought together a range of people who rallied behind the cause.
By 26th July , the wheels were in motion for a new piece of legislation to be passed, however sadly William Wilberforce would die only three days later.
As part of the act, slavery was abolished in most British colonies which resulted in around , slaves being freed in the Caribbean as well as South Africa and a small amount in Canada.
By these conditions were lifted. A longer process however ensued which not only included freeing slaves but also finding a way to compensate the slave owners for loss of investment. Meanwhile whilst the apprenticeships were enforced, peaceful protests by those affected would continue until their freedom was secured. By 1st August this was finally achieved with full legal emancipation granted.
The abolition of slavery in the British Empire thus brought in a new era of change in politics, economics and society. The movement towards abolition had been an arduous journey and in the end many factors played a significant role in ending the slave trade. Key individuals both in Britain and overseas, parliamentary figures, enslaved communities, religious figures and people who felt the cause was worth fighting for all helped to bring about a seismic shift in social awareness and conscience.
Thus, the trajectory of events leading to the abolition of slavery remain a significant chapter in British and global history, with important lessons for humanity as a whole. Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history.
Between and , around 1, slaving voyages were mounted from British ports, carrying nearly , Africans to the Americas. In alone, almost ships left Liverpool for West Africa.
New colonies in the Caribbean and the continued consumer demand for plantation's goods fuelled the trade. Clarkson and Wilberforce were two of the most prominent abolitionists, playing a vital role in the ultimate success of the campaign. Clarkson was a tireless campaigner and lobbyist. He made an in-depth study of the horrors of the trade and published his findings. Clarkson toured Britain and Europe to spread the abolitionist word and inspire action.
As a result, the abolition campaign grew into a popular mass movement. William Wilberforce was the key figure supporting the cause within Parliament. In , with the abolition campaign gaining further momentum, he had a breakthrough. The bill received royal assent in March and the trade was made illegal from 1 May It was now against the law for any British ship or British subject to trade in enslaved people.
The abolition of slavery now became the main focus of the campaign though this was a long and difficult struggle. Full emancipation was not achieved until and none of the ex-slaves received compensation. In the late 18th century a movement started to end the slave trade — the transatlantic trading by European merchants of people from Africa, in exchange for manufactured goods.
These captives were transported to the Americas or the Caribbean to be sold to plantation owners, who needed mass labour to cultivate and harvest crops such as cotton, sugar and tobacco. The campaign to end slavery coincided with the uprisings of the French Revolution and the retaliation of enslaved communities in the British colonies.
On 23 August a massive revolt by enslaved Africans erupted on the island of Saint Domingue, now known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The uprising would play a crucial role in making Saint Domingue the first Caribbean island to declare its independence and only the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere.
For 13 years, the country was in a state of civil war with the enslaved fighting for their freedom under the leadership of their fellow Africans. Under the military leadership of Toussaint, the freedom fighters were able to gain the upper hand and defeat the French, Spanish and British forces that attempted to regain control.
There are some obvious historical reasons for that: US slavery took place on home turf, and therefore has a more visible ongoing legacy, whereas for Britons it happened thousands of miles away. The Whip is, in fact, one of several British slavery narratives to get a high-profile airing. An African slave, taken to Jamaica and then to Edinburgh, Knight challenged his status at a court in Perth in — and not only won his freedom but also helped make slavery illegal in Scotland.
These narratives are often grounded in facts and real-life events and accounts. The sorts of stories that you might expect to feature more prominently in our account of ourselves as a country. For Romero, this is one of the points of art: to help us face up to our own part in slavery and its legacy, and a powerful way to reveal, and explore, our past.
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.
0コメント