Timeline showing the major events of the anti – slavery movement in the

British, French and Spanish Colonies.

March, 25th, 1807

The Trans – Atlantic Slave Trade was abolished in Britain and its colonies. The
Society for the Abolition of Slave Trade peddled the arguments for the passing
of the motion and it was passed with 41 votes for and 20 votes against.

1811
Slave Trading became a felony in Britain. The government had declared that the
participation in slave trade is punishable by death.

1815
At the Congress of Vienna, British encouraged other European nations (France,
Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands) to abolish Slave Trade as well.

1817
Britain and France signed a treaty (The Anglo – French Right of Search
Agreement Treaty) where France agreed to abolish slavery from the year 1817.

1817
Britain and Spain signed a treaty where Spain agreed to abolish Slave Trade
effective from 1820.

1817
France banned the trading of Slaves; however, this ban was not effective until
the year 1826.

1820
Spain banned Slave Trade but it still continued in the colonies, despite the ban
and despite the agreement that had been formed with Britain.

1823
The British Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery was
formed.
1823
The West India Group made proposals for the Amelioration of Slavery;
however, these proposals were not accepted by plantation owners.

1827
The British Society for the Abolition of Slavery was formed out of the former
Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery.

1833
The Emancipation Act was passed in Britain. This act allowed for the total
abolition of slavery in the British colonies to take place on August, 01, 1834.
However, the believed that the slaves needed to be taught how to be free so they
implemented a 6 – year period of apprenticeship which would follow suit, the
emancipation.

August, 01, 1834

British abolished slavery in their colonies.

August, 15, 1834

La Societe Pour L’abolition de L’esclavage was formed by Victor Schoeler in
France. This society put forward Amelioration Proposals towards Emancipation.

1835
Spain began to work to mitigate the continuation of the Slave Trade in their
colonies.

1836
France passed a law that ensured the freedom of any Slave who sets foot in
France.

1837
Slavery was abolished in Spain but not its territories.

1838
The French drafted an Emancipation Bill which was opposed The French West
India Interest group.

1840
Spain freed all slaves who were traded after 1820
1845
Spain enacted the Law of Abolition and Representation for Slave Trade;
however, the influx of slaves in the colonies continued.

1847
The French society issued a petition for immediate emancipation.

April, 27, 1848

Slavery was abolished in France and all its colonies. Additionally, there was no
apprenticeship period since Schoeler rejected it.

1848
Spanish colonies protested against Spain and referred to Abolition as
“propaganda”.

1864
The Spanish Abolitionist Society was formed

1868
Carlos Manuel de Cespedes and many other planters freed their slaves and
declared war with Spain. This was the beginning for the Ten Year War for
Independence.

February, 11, 1878

Treaty of Zanjon was signed between Spain and their Colonists and this ended
the Ten Year War for Independence.

1873
Spain’s Overseas Territories Minister, Segismundo Moret, introduced Moret’s
Slavery Act which included an apprenticeship system and set full abolition of
Slavery for 1886

1886
Slavery was abolished in all Spanish Territories.