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2007 HM Govt Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade 1807-2007.pdf

Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807-2007

The official publication from the British Government in response to the bicentenary included a message from Prime Minister Tony Blair. It set out the history of transatlantic slavery and resistance to it, and featured a calendar of upcoming events for 2007 relating to slavery and abolition. The publication also detailed contemporary efforts to end modern slavery. Later in 2007, 'The way forward: bicentenary of the abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807-2007' reflected on some of the commemorative activity that had taken place in Bristol, Hull, Liverpool, London and Greater Manchester. With a foreword by the new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, the theme of the publication was 'Reflecting on the past, looking to the future' and it linked efforts for the abolition of historical and contemporary slavery. The publication also looked to how to tackle inequality and poverty in the UK, Africa and the Caribbean.

2007 RGS Bombay Africans Part 1.pdf

Bombay Africans

Bombay Africans 1850-1910 was exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society as part of the wider ‘Crossing Continents: Connecting Communities’ project, which with community partners aimed to develop new resources to advance the importance of geography. Based on the research of Clifford Pereira and with community consultation partners, Bombay Africans explored the histories of a group of African men who assisted British explorers such as John Hanning Speke, Richard Burton and David Livingstone on mapping expeditions in East Africa in the late 19th century. The name 'Bombay Africans' was given to Africans who had been rescued from the slave ships operating in the Indian Ocean. The exhibition examined the roles of these men in the anti-slavery movement and in Christian organisations like the Church Missionary Society. Focusing on the East Coast of Africa and the slave trade routes in the Indian Ocean, the exhibition also explored enslavement, forced migration, liberation and the African diaspora in the Asian subcontinent.

2007 Islington Local History Centre Crowther Exhibition Panels.pdf

Samuel Ajayi Crowther: From slave boy to African national hero

Samuel Ajayi Crowther was Britain's first Black Anglican Bishop. He was born in Yorubaland, part of modern South Western Nigeria. After being enslaved, he was rescued at sea by the Royal Navy and began his missionary education in Sierra Leone. Crowther studied in Islington on two separate occasions: first, at St Mary’s Parochial School, and later, at the Church Missionary Society College on Upper Street. He was ordained at St Mary's Church in Upper Street before returning to Africa to begin his missionary work. His ordination as Bishop was in recognition of the success of his missionary efforts in the Niger region. His life, and connections to the London Borough of Islington, were the subject of this exhibition at Islington Local History Centre.

2007 Spirit of Wilberforce Zong at Tower Bridge.jpg

Spirit of Wilberforce

The Centre for Contemporary Ministry (CCM) is an educational charity specialising in the study of contemporary social issues. The CCM established a slavery exhibition at their base, Moggerhanger Park in Bedfordshire, once country home of members of the Thornton family, cousins of William Wilberforce. A mobile travelling display toured local venues. ‘Free at Last?’ was also part of the Spirit of Wilberforce project. This initiative saw a replica of the 18th century slave ship ‘Zong’ sail into London on 29 March 2007. The replica ship was accompanied up the River Thames by HMS Northumberland as part of the Royal Navy’s contributions to the bicentenary. The ‘Slavery Past and Present’ exhibition on board the replica was opened by the Mayor of London – a virtual reality display depicted conditions on a slave ship. The exhibition continued at the church All Hallows by the Tower, exploring the work of the abolitionists and the legacy of slavery. HMS Northumberland also opened to the public - an exhibition on board explored the role of the Royal Navy in enforcing the 1807 Act.

2007 Southampton Uni Poster.jpg

'Irreconcilable with the principles of justice and humanity': the trade in slaves and its abolition

An exhibition held in the Special Collections Gallery at the Hartley Library, University of Southampton. The exhibition took a broad view of the subject of transatlantic slavery across the 18th and 19th centuries, featuring accounts of the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, the case for abolition, and contemporary tracts and pamphlets putting forward the arguments for total abolition. Alongside these were discussions of the place of slavery in the economy of the West Indies, and the detail of measures taken by governments, such as that of the first Duke of Wellington in 1828-30, and the work of the third Viscount Palmerston, as Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister. The exhibition also looked at the efforts of the Royal Navy to enforce legislation and treaties against slave trading.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - Chasing Freedom.pdf

Chasing Freedom: The Royal Navy and the Suppression of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

An exhibition at the Royal Naval Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard explored the role of the Royal Navy squadron established after 1807 to patrol the West African coast and suppress the transatlantic slave trade. Using illustrations, contemporary accounts and original diaries of Royal Navy personnel, the exhibition examined key aspects of the campaign against Atlantic slave traders. It also looked at the Royal Navy's efforts against human trafficking and in the pursuance of humanitarian rights today. There was an accompanying programme of schools workshops and community events. Two specially produced films discussed the legacy of the squadron's work and recreated the abolition debates of the time.

Extract from the Act of Abolition 1807 (Parliamentary Archives).png

Guernsey and the Slave Trade

A display in the entrance foyer of Guernsey Museum in 2007 explored the island's connections with slavery and the slave trade. Relevant items from the museum's collection included a slave collar and chain from a slaver intercepted by a Guernsey captain on anti-slavery patrols, and a 17th-century portrait of Anne de Beauvoir and a slave child. Guernsey was involved in the transatlantic slave trade via islanders directly involved in the traffic (for example, Thomas Ebworthy of the ship 'Anne Galley'); ships known to be involved, such as the 'African' and the 'Fanny'; and islanders' involvement with the supply of goods or services.

2007 Chatham Historic Dockyard John Hawkins Panel.pdf

Freedom 1807: The Chatham Dockyard Story

The Historic Dockyard Chatham opened a new exhibition in 2007 to look at the history of Chatham in the context of the transatlantic slave trade. The exhibition examined dockyard ‘founder’ John Hawkins - the leader of the first English expedition to transport West African people to the Americas - the work of Chatham-built ships in policing the slave trade post-abolition, and the hidden history of people from ethnic minorities who served in the Royal Navy or worked in the naval dockyard, from the 18th century to the post-Second World War period. The exhibition also looked at Chatham's links to Indian shipbuilding. HMS Gannet (1878), preserved alongside two other historic warships at The Historic Dockyard, is the only surviving British warship to have taken part in the suppression of the slave trade off the coast Africa during the 19th century. Between 1885 and 1888 Gannet undertook anti-slavery patrols in the Red Sea, intercepting Arab slave traders operating off the East Coast of Africa, around the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

2007 Enfield ATTST Flyer.pdf

Enfield and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

An exhibition to mark the bicentenary was developed by Enfield Museum Service in partnership with the British Museum and Enfield Racial Equality Council. The exhibition looked at West African culture, the development of the local African community, the links between the transatlantic slave trade and Enfield, wealthy landowners and Quaker abolitionists who lived in the area. Free family days held during school vacations offered traditional Ghanaian story-telling, dancing and drumming, crafts and object handling. Living History Days gave visitors the opportunity to meet actors portraying William Wilberforce and Olaudah Equiano. School workshops included a drama session and performance about a runaway slave developed from material from Lambeth Archive. The museum service also produced a book, edited by Valerie Munday, which explored further the links between Enfield and the slave trade. The book was sent to all schools in the borough, and formed the basis of a teaching resource aimed at Key Stages 2 and 3. Loan boxes and handling collections provided by the museum service include Ghanaian artefacts and items relating to the slave trade. In 2011, Enfield Racial Equality Council unveiled a plaque to commemorate abolition at the Enfield Civic Centre.

2007 Bexley Slavery Connection Teachers Notes.pdf

Bexley: The Slavery Connection

The 'Slavery Connection' project researched Bexley’s links with the transatlantic slave trade through the London borough's residents and buildings. The exhibition, which included objects from Bexley Museum, aimed to raise the level of understanding in local communities about the history of the slave trade, by highlighting numerous local connections - such as Danson House, once home to the sugar merchant and slave trader Sir John Boyd, while archives of the East Wickham estate reveal evidence of a West African coachman called Scipio. Over a two year period, the travelling exhibition was displayed at 14 sites, including local African Caribbean groups, youth centres, libraries and churches. The launch event at the Bexley African Caribbean Community Association was accompanied by displays of African dancing, drumming and drama. An educational handling box and teachers’ pack were created for use in local schools.