The Slavery Abolition Act passes in the British House of Commons, initiating the gradual abolition of slavery in most parts of the British Empire.
The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which abolished slavery in the British Empire by way of compensated emancipation. The act was legislated by Whig Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey's reforming administration, and it was enacted by ordering the British government to purchase the freedom of all slaves in the British Empire, and by outlawing the further practice of slavery in the British Empire.
The Act explicitly delineated 19 separate pots of compensation covering the Caribbean, South Africa, and Mauritius. Although Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were technically included, these had relatively few slaves at this time for other reasons. India was excluded. Around 800,000 freed slaves were attested in the claims process.
Watch: Why Did Britain Abolish Slavery in 1833? (Pt 1)
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Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Slavery Abolition Act 1833, House of Commons of the United Kingdom, Slavery, British Empire (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.
