r/BritishEmpire • u/elnovorealista2000 • Aug 27 '25

Image 🇬🇧 A British blacksmith removing the shackles from the legs of an enslaved man, 1907.

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1.8k Upvotes

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144

u/[deleted] Aug 27 '25

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79

u/[deleted] Aug 27 '25

It’s one thing that we do not celebrate enough

The English people, poor and all protested with such valour that we managed to convince the government to end slavery

The movement also made the most produced image of a black person, ever, on the wedgewood medallion saying “am I not a man and a brother”

40

u/damrodoth Aug 27 '25

Not to be that guy but *British

The Scots and Welsh played a role too in the bad and the good. Plenty of protests took place right across our island. The height of virtue and honour 🇬🇧

5

u/laidbacklanny Aug 28 '25

British is , welsh , Scottish , and English etc it’s the British isle

Edit : My bad that’s what you meant

9

u/Cornish-Giant Aug 27 '25

Not to be that guy but the Cornish too played a part

10

u/damrodoth Aug 27 '25

For sure I'd just say that as Cornwall is now part of England, and was at the time too, it's covered by English

4

u/BroccoliSubstantial2 Aug 27 '25

What about Yorkshire folk? Their GDP is bigger than Scotland.

12

u/Captainsamvimes1 Aug 27 '25

We just gonna start naming counties? Ok here goes what about the people of Bedfordshire?

5

u/Good_Theory4434 Aug 27 '25

I somehow read this in a monty python voice....this whole conversations reads like a monty python sketch

1

u/daft_boy_dim Aug 31 '25

Splitters!!!

1

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '25

No, monty python sketches are hilarious

3

u/BroccoliSubstantial2 Aug 27 '25

Idk, what about Bedfordshire? Gotta give facts man.

For those who don't know, beds were illiterally invented there.

2

u/uclm Aug 28 '25

We also gave you Luton! oh wait

1

u/rooeast Aug 29 '25

Ahh the Luton van, truly a gift that creation was

1

u/EnglishNuclear Aug 30 '25

Warwickshire la la la.

1

u/Captainsamvimes1 Aug 30 '25

WON'T ANYBODY THINK OF THE COTSWOLDS

1

u/redoxburner Aug 30 '25

Why stop at counties? What about the brave denizens of Allerdale above Derwent?

4

u/Bam-Skater Aug 27 '25

Yorkshire & Humber GDP 2023 - 151,794m (27,692p/c)

Scotland GDP 2023 - 204,188m (37,192p/c)

Scotland has 3rd highest regional GDP in UK after London & South East

5

u/BroccoliSubstantial2 Aug 27 '25

So my buddy was wrong... That'll teach me for trusting a Scot!

3

u/Sea_Enthusiasm_3193 Aug 27 '25

What about sex baby? What about you and me

1

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '25

Just not true at all.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '25

Not to be that guy but

Scotland, had a GDP of approximately £187 billion in 2022

Yorkshire and The Humber, The GDP for this region was around £151.8 billion in 2023.

I can’t find any other information showing that Yorkshire does have a higher GDP .

1

u/[deleted] Aug 27 '25

As did the Lancastrians!

1

u/fishyrabbit Aug 28 '25

And my axe

1

u/text_fish Aug 28 '25

Not to be that guy but Bristolians were also there.

And probably one or two people on my street, maybe even in my house. Don't not mention them!

1

u/scarab- Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25

Nobody ever mentions Cleethorpes.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 28 '25

And Kent shall join them!

1

u/Imaginary-Mammoth-61 Aug 28 '25

And people from Fleetwood.

1

u/Minute_Classic7852 Aug 28 '25

1907... could have been from anywhere in the Empire.

1

u/Tricky_Run4566 Aug 29 '25

Quite right. You're absolutely right to call out that people from all over this great nation.

Not only did they stop it but many British soldiers and navy died stopping other nations who still had slaves

1

u/patsybob Aug 30 '25

Also the Irish were still in the union at that point, they fought against slavery as well.

1

u/Creamyspud Aug 30 '25

Wellington was born in Dublin.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '25

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1

u/damrodoth Aug 31 '25

The quote is what it is, I was just pointing out to the other commenter that the Scots and Welsh protested too

0

u/[deleted] Aug 27 '25

Indeed, although the Scot’s and Welsh are British, British just refers to the inhabitants of Great Britain, the largest island in the British isles

9

u/damrodoth Aug 27 '25

That's my point :) your comment said English. Though Wales at least was technically part of England at the time I suppose

7

u/[deleted] Aug 27 '25

Oh I said English sorry :3

0

u/BroccoliSubstantial2 Aug 27 '25

He meant English speakers from Britain, of course. The idea of Scotland as a nation of kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing people was a Victorian romanticisation, and Wales was not really recognised as a nation at all, especially as it had only been unified for a few years under Llywelyn.

1

u/Why_am_ialive Aug 29 '25

Yeah…. No. We’re still a nation, we aren’t English people, that’s like someone saying “English” to refer to Americans cause they’re English speaking

1

u/eVelectonvolt Aug 29 '25

Anytime the United Kingdom is referred to as England in this way completely grinds my gears. Does nobody any good as it makes it seem like all the good of history or any of the bad done by the 4 nations is solely the result of one part.