On 1 August 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act came into force across most British colonies. Around 750,000 people ceased to be legally classified as slaves, but many did not receive immediate full freedom.

Britain had abolished the British slave trade in 1807. That law prohibited British participation in the trade but did not free people already enslaved in British colonies. Plantation slavery continued, particularly in the Caribbean.

Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833 after years of campaigning in Britain and resistance by enslaved people in the colonies. The settlement also reflected the financial and political demands of slave owners.

The government provided £20 million in compensation to people who had claimed ownership of the enslaved. The payment represented a large share of annual government expenditure and was financed through public borrowing. The people who had been enslaved received no compensation.

The Act freed some people immediately, including young children. Most enslaved adults were redesignated as apprentices and required to continue working for their former owners.

Apprentices had to provide unpaid labour for much of the working week. They could earn wages during their remaining time, but their former owners retained considerable control over their work, movement and treatment.

The system was presented as preparation for free labour and protection against sudden economic disruption. It also allowed plantation owners to retain a controlled workforce after the formal end of slavery.

The intended period of apprenticeship varied according to the type of labour. Domestic apprentices were expected to serve for four years, while many agricultural workers faced six years.

Not every colony adopted the system in the same way. Antigua chose immediate full emancipation rather than apprenticeship. Bermuda also freed enslaved people without imposing the planned transitional period.

Elsewhere, apprentices and campaigners reported continued coercion, harsh punishment and attempts to preserve authority formerly exercised under slavery. Opposition grew in the Caribbean and Britain.

The apprenticeship system ended early on 1 August 1838. Only then did most of the people affected by the 1833 Act gain full legal freedom from compulsory service to their former owners.