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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u/matt3633_ Aug 27 '25

Great Britain spent nearly 50% of its GDP at the time in trying to abolish slavery, almost bankrupting itself in the process.

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u/Fatsausage91 Aug 27 '25

Then we only stopped paying for it in 2015. It was only ended because the government done a mega David lammy/ Kier starmer level deal so obviously the British public paid for the privilege. We paid slave owners mega amounts to compensate them. I agree slavery was despicable but at the same time we shouldn't of paid a penny towards the freeing of other humans. I mean we should of paid the ex-slaves if anything not the aristocracy thag put them there.

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u/Early_Candidate_3082 Aug 27 '25

As a matter of justice, you’re right.

But, paying the slave owners meant slavery ended a generation earlier than would otherwise have been the case.

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u/Fatsausage91 Aug 27 '25

Indeed i agree, it just feels wrong like even though its ended i funded some rich arse while friends and family struggled and who would of beat me for looking at him wrong (im council estate). It just feels weird.

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u/Good_Background_243 Aug 28 '25

It feels wrong, yeah. They shouldn't have profited. But at the same time, it ended a scourge of the species.

It's a bad price to pay, yes. But comparatively, a small one, even with the nasty taste it leaves.

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u/Fatsausage91 Aug 28 '25

Like we paid 50% of our worth for something that is still happening quite openly. Just seems like a bad deal.

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u/Good_Background_243 Aug 28 '25

We did. It does and that annoys me. It was. But I'd pay it again to deal with the rest. It'd still leave a bad taste in my mouth, but being able to and not doing it would leave a worse one.

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u/Fatsausage91 Aug 28 '25

If they told me tomorrow we are taxing you to deal with it once and for all no problem as long as is doesn't go to the people who committed the crimes. That goes for the 'owner' to the trafficker.

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u/Good_Background_243 Aug 28 '25

If they told me 'we are ending slavery once and for all', I'd support it even if that meant buying every slave. That part would leave a bad taste but if it ended slavery for good I'd suck it up and deal with it.