1834 Slavery Compensation: Who got the 20 million £££ ? (test video)

• published: 07 Mar 2013
• views: 1301

(Sample video of lecture delivered on 2.3.2013 full version to appear later) In 1834 when the British abolished slavery in the Caribbean the government paid 20 million pounds in compensation to the owners of the enslaved Africans. The Africans got nothing. Many people have wondered who exactly got that money and what they did with it. Which islands and plantations benefited ? What houses were built ? What institutions were established ? What was the cultural and economic legacy of this massive payout ? Can it be identified and quantified ? A team of scholars from UCL have been researching exactly these questions and more. Over the last 3 years they have collated research on several thousand beneficiaries and created a searchable, user-friendly website that covers... Which individuals received monies. How much they received Which houses they lived in What they bought with the money Which cultural/ educational institutions they established or supported with the money What islands/plantations/ individuals in the Caribbean were compensated Exactly how banks and financial institutions used the money to further the needs of empire The role of slave-owners as writers and historians The connections between the compensation, finance companies and political parties Physical legacies; buildings, statues, parks, docks,railways, bridges, libraries How to use the website to expand your own personal or professional or genealogical research Professor Catherine Hall, Dr Nick Draper, Keith McClelland, Kate Donnington and Rachel Lang share their research, demonstrate how to use the website and take extended questions on both topics Saturday 2 March 2013 Venue: Birkbeck University, London England www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk Walks talks and films on Londons African History http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/project website, Legacies of British Slave Ownership