jan 1, 1833 - Slavery Abolition Act (UK)

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The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. IV c. 73) abolished slavery throughout the British Empire. This Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom expanded the jurisdiction of the Slave Trade Act 1807 and made the purchase or ownership of slaves illegal within the British Empire, with the exception of "the Territories in the Possession of the East India Company", Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and Saint Helena. The Act was repealed in 1997 as a part of wider rationalization of English statute law; however, later anti-slavery legislation remains in force.

A passionate believer in racial and sexual equality, Blake used his poetry and art to protest against many different forms of mental, physical and economic enslavement. He also created several memorable and specific anti-slavery and pro-abolition images and poems, including The Little Black Boy which was written in 1788 just a year after The Committee for the Effecting of the Abolition of the Slave Trade was founded. In this poem, Blake describes how a young black boy becomes the equal of his white counterpart in God's heaven, where colour is irrelevant. Blake's images are more disturbing and show the cruel punishments meted out by white plantation owners.

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