British Empire Abolishes Slavery, Liberating 770,000 on August 1, 1834

On 1 August 1834 the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, passed by the British Parliament, came into force across the British Empire. It granted freedom to roughly 770,280 enslaved people in colonies such as the Caribbean, Mauritius and South Africa. Children under six were freed immediately, while adult former slaves entered a four‑to‑six‑year apprenticeship system that required them to work without pay for their former owners.

The British government allocated £20 million in compensation to slave owners – about 40 % of the annual state budget – and only cleared the resulting debt in 2015. Full emancipation was achieved on 31 July 1838 after mass protests. The date is now commemorated worldwide as Emancipation Day.