On This Day in 1834: Slavery Abolition Act Takes Effect Across British Empire

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Demonstrators take part in the annual Afrikan Emancipation Day Reparations march in Brixton, London, on Aug. 1, 2021. The annual observance commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, which took effect on Aug. 1, 1834. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
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(AURN News) — Tomorrow, Aug. 1, marks the date the Slavery Abolition Act took effect across most of the British Empire in 1834.

The law legally ended slavery for most enslaved people, but it did not grant immediate, unconditional freedom.

Instead, many were forced into a temporary “apprenticeship” system that required them to continue laboring for their former enslavers.

On Aug. 1, 1838, the apprenticeship system ended early, bringing full emancipation to the Caribbean and South Africa.

In some other British territories, including India, slavery was not formally abolished until 1843.

The United States abolished slavery nationally in December 1865, when the 13th Amendment was ratified. The amendment was ratified Dec. 6, 1865.

That came 31 years after the British law took effect in 1834 and 27 years after the apprenticeship system ended in 1838.

Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane

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