Timeline 1807-1835

In 1807 Parliament voted to end Britain’s participation in the transatlantic slave trade. But slave ownership in the British Empire would continue until the 1830s. At the same time the trade in captives between Africa and the New World continued despite the best efforts of the Royal Navy to intercept slave ships from every country, and the heavy fines imposed by the British government on illegal slave traders. Wilberforce and his colleagues inside and outside of Parliament knew that slavery had to be abolished if the slave trade was to be ended. The campaign had to go on.

1807

The USA banned American ships from participating in the slave trade.

Britain passed a law declaring the buying, selling and transporting of slaves illegal (but slave ownership in the British Empire was allowed).

1811

Britain passed a new law saying that anyone convicted of slave-trading would be sentenced to transportation (to be sent for life) to a convict settlement in Australia.

1813

Granville Sharp died.

Sweden banned its ships from participating in the transatlantic slave trade.

1814

The Netherlands banned its ships from participating in the transatlantic slave trade.

1815

Portugal agreed to limit the transport of slaves in Portuguese ships.

1816

Spain agreed to limit the transport of slaves in Spanish ships.

1818

France said that it was illegal for French ships to take part in the slave trade.

1820

Spain said that it was illegal for Spanish ships to take part in the slave trade.

Despite the transportation of captives across the Atlantic being made illegal, it is estimated that the numbers of Africans enduring the Middle Passage increased to well over 500,000 during the 1820s.

1822

Thomas Fowell Buxton took over the leadership of the Anti-Slavery Society.

1831

There was an unsuccessful slave revolt in Jamaica involving 50,000 slaves. The revolt was crushed by British government forces and the slave leaders were hanged.

1833

Parliament passed a law that ordered every slave in Britain’s colonies to be set free within one year. Slave owners were given £20 million in compensation for the loss of their slave labour force, but only slave children under six years of age were fully free. Every other freed slave in the British Empire would have to work as an unpaid apprentice for their former owner for three-quarters of every week for four to six years before they were entirely free.

1835

The British government ended this unfair system of apprenticeship and all former slaves in the British Empire were fully free.