The Abolition of Slavery

For hundreds of years, millions of people were enslaved and treated as property. But brave people around the world fought to end this terrible practice. In Britain, a law called the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in 1833, freeing enslaved people across the British Empire. In the United States, slavery ended after the Civil War in 1865. The fight to end slavery is one of the most important struggles for justice in history.

The Fight to End Slavery

People called abolitionists worked hard to end slavery. In Britain, William Wilberforce spent decades trying to convince Parliament to ban the slave trade. Formerly enslaved people like Olaudah Equiano and Frederick Douglass told their powerful stories. Women like Harriet Tubman risked their lives to help enslaved people escape. Slowly, public opinion changed, and more people demanded an end to slavery.

Freedom at Last

Britain banned the slave trade in 1807 and then abolished slavery in its empire in 1833. France, the Netherlands, and other countries followed. In the United States, it took a bloody civil war before slavery ended in 1865. Even after slavery was abolished, formerly enslaved people faced racism and unfair treatment. The fight for true equality continued for many years and continues today.

Important Facts

• Harriet Tubman helped about 70 enslaved people escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
• William Wilberforce introduced a bill to end the slave trade in Parliament almost every year for 18 years before it finally passed.
• When British slavery was abolished in 1833, about 800,000 enslaved people were freed.

Did You Know?

Frederick Douglass taught himself to read in secret as a child. He later became one of the most powerful speakers and writers against slavery in American history.