Peter Espeut | Leading up to Emancipation Day

On August 1, 1834, the 309,331 enslaved persons in Jamaica were formally emancipated by an act of the British Parliament. Nowadays, we celebrate every August 1 – including tomorrow – as a public holiday. I use this space to provide some historical background to the events of 1834/1838. It was clear to those Jamaican slaveowners who followed events in England that lobbyists for Emancipation were making headway. Something had to be done quickly to prevent it, or postpone it.