Mapping Compensation For Slavery

Today I visited the wonderful Museum of London Docklands. The museum's 'London, Sugar in addition to Slavery' exhibition examines the dominant purpose of  London inwards the transatlantic slave trade.

Of all the many shocking facts revealed past times the exhibition 1 fact actually stuck amongst me. When the British authorities abolished slave-ownership inwards 1833 it decided to respect £20 meg inwards compensation. That equates to about £16.5 billion inwards today's terms. It is impossible to struggle that the British authorities were astonishingly generous inwards their compensation award.

The shocking fact is, however, that this £20 meg was earmarked non for the individuals who were sold, abducted or forced into slavery simply for those who profited from this immoral activity. In Victorian UK many wealthy families owed their fortunes to the slave economy. Thanks to the British authorities these same families likewise profited when slavery was live on abolished.

The History Department of University College London has created ii maps which actually bring out how many Londoner's profited from their disgusting interest inwards the slave trade. The UCL's Slaveowners inwards Fitzrovia in addition to on the Portman Estate includes ii maps showing the homes of individuals who received compensation from the abolition of slave-ownership.

Because of Britain's soundless stiff degree arrangement at that spot are of course of report many wealthy families inwards UK today still indirectly enjoying the proceeds of slavery equally the wealth generated from the slave-trade in addition to the government's compensation respect has been passed downwards the generations.