Slavery Abolition Act 1833
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| Slavery Abolition Act 1833 | |
| United Kingdom Parliament | |
| Long title: | An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies; for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves; and for compensating the Persons hitherto entitled to the Services of such Slaves. |
| Statute book chapter: | 3 & 4 Will.4 c.73 |
| Introduced by: | |
| Territorial extent: | |
| Dates | |
| Date of Royal Assent: | 28 August 1833 |
| Commencement: | |
| Repeal date: | 19 November 1998 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amendments: | |
| Related legislation: | Slave Trade Act 1807, Slave Trade Act 1824, Slave Trade Act 1843, Slave Trade Act 1873 |
| Repealing legislation: | Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1998 |
| Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 (citation 3 & 4 Will. IV c. 73) was an 1833 Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom abolishing slavery throughout the majority of the British Empire (with the notable exceptions "of the Territories in the Possession of the East India Company," the "Island of Ceylon," and "the Island of Saint Helena.")[1]
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[edit] Background
Britain had outlawed the slave trade with the Slave Trade Act in 1807, with penalties of £100 per slave levied on British captains found importing slaves. However, this did not stop the British slave trade: If slave ships were in danger of being captured by the Royal Navy, captains often reduced the fines they had to pay by ordering the slaves to be thrown into the sea. According to the 1844 McMulloch's Commercial Dictionary; "America abolished the slave trade at the same time as England. But not withstanding what had been done, further measures were soon discovered to be necessary. The Spanish and Portuguese continued to carry on the trade to a greater extent than ever; and British subjects did not hesitate, under cover of their flags, to become partners in their adventures."
The next step, then, was to make slavery illegal. A new Anti-Slavery Society was formed in 1823, with members including Thomas Clarkson, Henry Brougham, William Wilberforce, Thomas Fowell Buxton, Elizabeth Heyrick, Mary Lloyd, Jane Smeal, Elizabeth Pease, and Anne Knight.
They prevailed ten years later with the Slavery Abolition Act. To mollify slave owners, the British government paid compensation to owners of freed slaves, depending on the number of slaves that they had. For example, Henry Phillpotts (the then Bishop of Exeter) received £12,700 for his 665 slaves.[citation needed]
[edit] Main points of the Act
Slavery was officially abolished in the majority of the British Empire on 1 August 1834.[2] In practical terms, however, only slaves below the age of six were freed as all slaves over the age of six were redesignated as "apprentices".[3] Apprentices would continue to serve their former owners for a period of time after the abolition of slavery, though the length of time they served depended on which of the three classes of apprentice they were.[4]
The first class of apprentices were former slaves who "in their State of Slavery were usually employed in Agriculture, or in the Manufacture of Colonial Produce or otherwise, upon Lands belonging to their Owners".[4] The second class of apprentices were former slaves who "in their State of Slavery were usually employed in Agriculture, or in the Manufacture of Colonial Produce or otherwise, upon Lands not belonging to their Owners".[4] The third class of apprentices was composed of all former slaves "not included within either of the Two preceding Classes".[4] Apprentices within the third class were released from their apprenticeships on 1 August 1838.[5] The remaining apprentices within the first and second classes were released from their apprenticeships on 1 August 1840.[6]
The Act also included the right of compensation for slave-owners who would be losing their property. The amount of money to be spent on the compensation claims was set at "the Sum of Twenty Millions Pounds Sterling".[7]
As a notable exception to the rest of the British Empire, the Act did not "extend to any of the Territories in the Possession of the East India Company, or to the Island of Ceylon, or to the Island of Saint Helena."[1]
[edit] Repeal
The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 was repealed in its entirety under the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1998.[8] However, this repeal has not made slavery legal again, as sections of the Slave Trade Act 1824, Slave Trade Act 1843 and Slave Trade Act 1873 are still in force.[9][10][11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Slavery Abolition Act 1833; Section LXIV (1833-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Slavery Abolition Act 1833; Section XII (1833-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Slavery Abolition Act 1833; Section I (1833-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ a b c d Slavery Abolition Act 1833; Section IV (1833-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Slavery Abolition Act 1833; Section VI (1833-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Slavery Abolition Act 1833; Section V (1833-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Slavery Abolition Act 1833; Section XXIV (1833-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1998 (1998-11-19). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Slave Trade Act 1824 (1824-06-24). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Slave Trade Act 1843 (1843-08-24). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Slave Trade Act 1873 (1873-08-05). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
[edit] External links
- The Parliamentary Archives holds the original of this historic record
- Text of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833
- Teaching resources about Slavery and Abolition on blackhistory4schools.com
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