8.1.7

The Abolition of Slavery: Key Events

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Key Events in the Abolition Movement

The abolition of the slave trade did not happen overnight. There were several key events which led to the end of slavery.

Illustrative background for The Somerset CaseIllustrative background for The Somerset Case ?? "content

The Somerset Case

  • In 1807, King George III signed into law the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, banning trading in slaves in the British Empire but not slavery itself.
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The Dolben Act

  • In 1788, the Dolben Act was passed.
  • The Dolben Act limited the number of slaves that could be on a ship.
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Bills for the abolition of the slave trade

  • Between 1789 and 1807, the British politician Wilberforce tried to pass a bill against the slave trade in Parliament.
  • Even though Wilberforce faced a lot of resistance, he continued to bring the bill up every year.
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The abolition of the slave trade in Britain

  • In 1807, Parliament ruled that the slave trade should be abolished in Britain.
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The abolition of the slave trade in Europe

  • In 1815, the Congress of Vienna abolished the slave trade in Europe.
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The abolition of slavery in the Empire

  • In 1833, slavery was abolished in the whole of the British Empire in the Slavery Abolition Act.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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