Slavery Abolition 1807 and 1833

Slavery was illegal in Britain itself but was a major overseas industry. Millions were transported from West Africa to the Americas in horrible conditions. The Quakers set up the first formal anti-slavery groups. William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian MP, played a key role. In 1807, it became illegal to trade slaves in British ships or from British ports. In 1833, the Emancipation Act abolished slavery throughout the British Empire. The Royal Navy stopped slave ships from other countries.