Communities and neighbourhoods

Bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade

Logo for the slavery bicentenary. The 25 March 2007 marked the bicentenary of the passage of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, the act of parliament which outlawed the transatlantic slave trade throughout the then British Empire and made it illegal for British ships to be involved in the trade. Although slavery itself would not be abolished for another thirty years, the passage of this Act marked the beginning of the end for the transatlantic traffic in human beings.

The Government's strategy for marking this important bicentenary aimed to commemorate the past but also look to the future by addressing the issues we face today. Throughout the year the Government undertook a range of activity to:

commemorate those who suffered as a result of the slave trade
recognise the efforts of those who struggled for abolition, including enslaved Africans, states people and ordinary citizens, and those responsible for implementing the new laws
tackle contemporary and legacy issues that arise out of the slave trade, including:
- Poverty and inequality on the African continent
- Tackling inequality, discrimination and racism today, in particular for the African and Caribbean diaspora
- Tackling contemporary slavery in all its forms.

An informal advisory group of influential stakeholders, including representatives from local and national organisations, churches and the voluntary and charity sectors, was brought together by the then Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, to provide a sounding board for ministers to discuss how best to maximise individual and collective contributions to the Bicentenary. The work of the advisory group was concluded with a seminar at which ministers presented ongoing, long-term Government work to address contemporary and legacy issues to be taken forward beyond the bicentenary year.

Official Government magazine to commemorate the bicentenary

The Government published two official magazines to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade (available to download below). The first was published in March 2007 and set out the history of the bicentenary and highlighted forthcoming commemorative events. The second was published in December 2007 at the conclusion of the bicentenary year and set out key ongoing Government work to tackle the legacy and contemporary issues associated with slavery.

Future national commemoration

To ensure that commemoration of this important part of our history continues beyond 2007 the Government announced it would adopt 23 August - UNESCO Day for the International Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition - as the focal date for future national commemorations. Community groups will be able to apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund for support for heritage projects and will also be able to apply to the Big Lottery Fund and Arts Council England.