Fascinating Fact:
In Britain, campaigners such as William Wilberforce spoke in Parliament against the slave trade, arguing that it was cruel and unchristian.
In KS3 History, the fight to abolish slavery is studied through the work of campaigners, former enslaved people, and political leaders. Pupils learn how petitions, pamphlets, court cases, boycotts, and speeches raised public awareness and pressured Parliament to change the law. The topic also explores how enslaved people resisted slavery themselves and how abolition affected the British Empire and its economy.
Key Terms
- Slave trade: The buying and selling of people as property, often transporting them across oceans to work without freedom or pay.
- Abolition: The act of officially ending a law or practice, such as the slave trade or slavery itself.
- Parliament: The law-making body in Britain, made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)
What was the transatlantic slave trade?
The transatlantic slave trade was a system in which European traders took millions of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to work as enslaved labourers in the Americas and the Caribbean.
How did people in Britain try to abolish the slave trade?
People in Britain campaigned through petitions, public meetings, newspapers, and speeches in Parliament. They also organised sugar boycotts and used first-hand accounts from formerly enslaved people to show the trade’s cruelty.
When was slavery abolished in the British Empire?
The British Parliament ended the slave trade in 1807. Slavery itself was abolished in most of the British Empire by the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, with full freedom following a few years later.
Try These Related Quizzes
