when was slavery abolished in Britain (and/or the british empire)?

Question

african slaves only

Answer 1

There are three key stages in this:
The main years to remember are 1772, 1807, 1833.

1) June 22, 1772 -judgment of "Somersett's Case" - declaration that no one could be a slave on British soil

Some like to claim that England 'never' had slavery, or at least African slaves. And there was a legal foundation for that. But, in fact, there was a quasi-slavery, and no protection against free blacks in England being kidnapped.

It took a series of legal cases to resolve this. The most important one was the "Somsersett's Case" (for James Somersett, who was claimed as a slave), advanced by leading abolitionist (and biblical Greek scholar!) Granville Sharp (who had advanced several other such cases with less success). The case was decided by Lord Mansfield.

http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/lhr/24.3/cleve.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somersett%27s_Case
http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/sharp.htm

2) 1807 - Slave Trade Act, outlawing the British slave trade (and involving the British navy in policing/preventing OTHER slave trading)
After a campaign of about two decades, led in the House of Commons by William Wilberforce
- bill was passed on February 23
- signed into law by King George III on March 25

Effective date = May 1, 1807

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_Trade_Act_1807


3) 1833 - Slavery Abolition Act, outlawing slavery throughout the British Empire
(passed after about a 10-year campaign)
- final reading, vote: July 26, 1833 (Wilberforce lived just three more days!)
Effective date: July 31, 1834, though slaves over six-years old were only finally to be released after four years
(So you COULD put the final date in 838)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_Abolition_Act_1833


For more details on Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce, leaders in the campaign for both of these acts see:
http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/clarkson.htm
http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wilberforce.htm

And here is info on several other leading British abolitionists:
http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/index.htm

Answer 2

Slavery Abolished In British Empire

Answer 3

Slavery has never existed in Britain. Since ancient times, any slave landing on England's shores became from that moment free! An ancient judgement states that that England was too pure an air for a slave to breathe, and so everyone who breathes it becomes free.

In 1807 the British abolished the slave trade with their colonies. In the Caribbean, slavery was abolished by British Parliamentary fiat, effective July 31, 1834, when 776,000 slaves in the British plantation colonies were freed. The British imperial emancipation can be attributed to the growing power of the philanthropic movement and a double switch in the focus of the British Empire, geographically from west (the Caribbean) to east (India) and economically from protectionism to laissez-faire.

For more see the URL below.

Answer 4

Actually the British Slave Trade was banned in 1807. The Emancipation Act freeing former slaves was finally passed in 1833 The Royal Navy actively pursued anti slavery patrols during that period and on into the 1850's. Generally the last people who wanted to see a cessation to the trade were African Chieftains. As the British Empire has always successfully kept its own citizens in near slavery I would imagine your question is pretty much open ended.

Answer 5

Abolition of Slave Trade Act - March 25th, 1807 (100 pound fine for every slave found on a British ship)
Slavery Abolition Act - August 23rd, 1833 (outlawed slavery in British colonies)
August 1st, 1834 - All slaves in the British Empire were emancipated, but those still working were to be indentured to their former owners for six years in an "apprenticeship" system, which was abolished in 1838 after peaceful protests in Trinidad

Answer 6

Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This act gave all slaves in the British Empire their freedom. The British government paid compensation to the slave owners. The amount that the plantation owners received depended on the number of slaves that they had. For example, the Bishop of Exeter's 665 slaves resulted in him receiving £12,700.
see here:http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu4wH7R1GYLYATDVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE3MW9qcW1jBGNvbG8DZQRsA1dTMQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDc3IEdnRpZANGODYyXzEyMg--/SIG=127soij6i/EXP=1176452743/**http%3a//www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Lslavery33.htm

Answer 7

Officially 1807 although it took several years to be implemented effectively

Answer 8

way before it was abolished in America