Abolition, Now part 1

Sadly, the podcast has come to an end. However, there is still so much to learn and discover about the links between modern Britain and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which is why we're pleased to announce that our book Human Resources: Slavery and the Making of Modern Britain in 39 Institutions, People, Places and Things is out now.

Moya and Kris Manjapra discuss his book Black Ghost of Empire, a revelatory historical indictment of the long afterlife of slavery in the Atlantic world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As abolitionist campaigns gained traction in the late 1700s, the population of formerly enslaved people grew. Those who had been enslaved in the British colonies were ‘freed’ - at first in dribs and drabs, then all at once via two landmark pieces of legislation in 1807 and 1834.

At the height of the British slave trade, there were no cameras to capture the experiences of the children who found themselves forced into enslavement. There are not even exact numbers for how many youths were sucked into the system - estimates suggest a quarter of the roughly 12 million Black Africans enslaved between the 16th and 19th centuries would be categorised as children. Their stories are some of the hardest to dig up - but people are persisting anyway.

In the last episode, ‘Abolition, Now part 1’, I was talking with Historian Diana Patton about the real timeline of Aboliton and what Abolition really meant for those previously enslaved. Towards the end of the episode we began speaking about Apprenticeships and how those previously enslaved were then forced to work for the people who formerly owned them. Should they not want to work, the punishments were fast and brutal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices