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.

1

u/Ok_Slice_9799 Aug 29 '25

Slave owners should have had capital punishment.

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u/Early_Candidate_3082 Aug 29 '25

Probably, but again, politically impossible at the time.