Tag Archives: Slavery abolition 1833

The birth of modern British politics, 1832-3

The birth of modern British politics began in 1832 when the Whig government intervened in property rights. Firstly, ownership of rotten boroughs, which elected MPs, and secondly, slavery. Ownership of constituencies and slaves were felt to be against the public … Continue reading

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The Price of Virtue: Bailing out Slave-owners 1833

Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833. Key to abolition was the willingness of the British government to compensate slave-owners for their property. The government budgeted £20 million, supervised by the Slavery Compensation Commission. This huge amount of … Continue reading

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