Today marks the 175th anniversary of Emancipation when most of those enslaved in the British colonies ceased to be in bondage.
It was the passing of the Abolition Act in the British Parliament which ushered in eventual emancipation. While it became law on August 29, 1833, it was not designed to come into force until August 1, 1834, and even then, full immediate freedom was not what it intended. The act provided for a period of apprenticeship whereby those who were enslaved would continue