United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom it was a landmark year for the abolition movement, as the same trade that had been legalised during the 16th century was now made illegal. For the freed Black Britons they were now safe from possible deportation and being sold for profit.

Much of the abolition propaganda  had started during the 1770's by various people  and groups.

It should be noted that even through the 1807 and 1834 Acts were passed, many of the ancestors of the African Caribbean communities who have settled in the United Kingdom around the Windrush era would have still been enslaved. The 1807 Act would have had more of an impact on the descendants of freed slaves living in England at the time which numbered approx 10,000.

Africa

In Africa this legislation had next to no impact, as the new law gave precedence for the voyages that had already started or were about to start as it was not fully implemented until 1808. So the continued loss of young children and those under 40 was still happening as slavery was not abolished across the empire until 1834 or 1838 if you include the 4 years of the apprenticeship system.
Also, as other countries were slowly abolishing there slave trade there was still many sea captains willing to take the risk of transporting illegal cargo holds full of Africans as there was still a lot of money to be made this way.

This continued displacement of Africans enlarged the African diaspora and could be seen as a major reason as to why many African countries are so under developed as its major resource: people were taken away in there millions over 100's of years.

The use of the phase maafa (great disaster from the kiswahilli language of East Afrika) has been used by many people of African decent to contextualise the 500 years of slavery.

West Indies

Africans were still being shipped over to the Americas and Caribbean Islands to be enslaved as it would be many years before legalisation freed all slaves.
It should be noted that as well as the abolition movement in Britain, rebellions and resistance on the various Caribbean islands helped to dismantle the slave trade. As on most plantations the slaves out numbered the slave owners in some cases as much as 10:1. Episodes such as the Maroon Wars, Baptist War and The Christmas Rebellion of 1831 are well documented else where.

By 1800 Jamaica had about 10,000 freed people of colour

Comments (0) >>

Show/Hide comments

Write comment

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Comment

Add Comment