Abolition of Slavery (1807 & 1833)

William Wilberforce was the leading parliamentary figure in the campaign to abolish the slave trade. A Member of Parliament and deeply religious man, he dedicated much of his life to the cause. He introduced abolition bills to Parliament repeatedly over many years, facing fierce opposition from those with financial interests in the trade.

Wilberforce was supported by a broad movement that included religious groups, particularly Quakers, as well as formerly enslaved people who campaigned and wrote about their own experiences. After years of effort, the Slave Trade Act 1807 was passed, abolishing the trade in enslaved people throughout the British Empire.

Olaudah Equiano was a formerly enslaved person who became an important voice in the campaign for abolition. He published his autobiography in 1789, describing in vivid detail the horrors of slavery and the slave trade. His writing helped to humanise the cause for many British readers and was an influential contribution to the abolition movement.

Abolishing the slave trade in 1807 did not end slavery itself — enslaved people already in British colonies continued to be held in bondage. Campaigners continued to press for full abolition. In 1833 the Slavery Abolition Act was passed, abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire. Wilberforce died just three days after hearing that the bill would pass.

Slave owners received financial compensation from the government. Enslaved people themselves received no compensation, but gained their freedom. Full emancipation came into effect in 1834.