# Slave Trade Act abolishes British slave trading (1807)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1807-slave-trade-act-abolishes-british-slave-trading
Categories: main-event

Parliament prohibited British participation in the transatlantic slave trade. Within the broader Georgian Britain period, parliamentary government, industrialization, imperial expansion, war with France and political reform turned Britain into a global commercial and military power. This event is placed at 1807 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The law was a major abolitionist victory, though slavery itself continued in most British colonies.

## Why it matters
The law was a major abolitionist victory, though slavery itself continued in most British colonies.

Ruler at the time: [George III](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Slave Trade Act abolishes British slave trading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Slave+Trade+Act+abolishes+British+slave+trading&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Slave Trade Act abolishes British slave trading](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Slave+Trade+Act+abolishes+British+slave+trading)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281800%E2%80%931899%29)
- [The National Archives — empire and industry resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)