How and why did Britain abolish slavery? This is something that historians have argued over for a long time. Most people know the story of William Wilberforce and the philanthropists who fought for abolition. But there is far more to be explored here.
Not many people are aware that, as part of the measures taken to end slavery, in 1833 the government compensated former slave-owners for the loss of their ‘property’ in people. The amount paid out by the government was £20 million. This can be calculated in today’s money using a variety of different indicators but all measures place the amount at well over £1 billion.
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