Today's blog entry goes out to my first year class. Did you know that on this day in 1865 the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified? The amendment abolished slavery in the U.S.Britain had passed the Abolition of slavery Act in 1807 but this did not stop British involvement as there were too many loopholes for those involved to expose. For example British captains who were caught continuing the trade were fined £100 for every slave found on board.If slave-ships were in danger of being captured by the British navy, captains often reduced the fines they had to pay by ordering the slaves to be thrown into the sea.
The British Parliament eventually passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This act gave all slaves in the British Empire their freedom.
Sometimes we take for granted what others had to fight to give us.
See you in Class!
