Marking The Bicentenary Of The Abolition Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade
There is some limited awareness of the significance of 2007 in relation to the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act, and one in ten can name the exact year when the act was abolished. However, few people are able to identify prominent abolitionists from a list, indicating that although there is a basis upon which to build awareness for next year's bicentenary, there is some way to go to raise awareness and knowledge in this area. Results also reveal the public's limited understanding of what slavery in the 21st century involves. Even the most widely recognised form of modern slavery, trafficking for sexual exploitation, is identified by only 35% of people.
There is some limited awareness of the significance of 2007 in relation to the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act, and one in ten can name the exact year when the act was abolished. However, few people are able to identify prominent abolitionists from a list, indicating that although there is a basis upon which to build awareness for next year's bicentenary, there is some way to go to raise awareness and knowledge in this area. Results also reveal the public's limited understanding of what slavery in the 21st century involves. Even the most widely recognised form of modern slavery, trafficking for sexual exploitation, is identified by only 35% of people.
Additionally, it is important to note that there are variations relating to how, if at all, the bicentenary should be marked. While three in five (59%) British people believe that the bicentenary should be publicly recognised in some way, two in five say they do not think it should be marked, do not care, do not know or are not interested. As might be expected, support for bicentennial activities rises among ethnic minorities and black people in particular.
Technical Details
1,033 British adults, aged 15+ were interviewed face-to-face in home between 15-21 September 2006 using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing). Data are weighted to match the national demographic profile across Great Britain.
Topline Results
Q1 The Transatlantic Slave Trade refers to the trade of slaves between Africa and the Americas. In what year do you think the UK Parliament abolished the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
| % | |
|---|---|
| 1900-2006 | 15 |
| 1800-1899 (Not 1807 specifically) | 34 |
| 1807 | 10 |
| 1700-1799 | 7 |
| 1600-1699 | 2 |
| 1400-1599 | * |
| 1200-1399 | 0 |
| Before 1200 | * |
| Don't Know | 33 |
Q2 Which, if any, of the following people do you think played a role in the British campaign for the abolition of the slave trade?
| % | |
|---|---|
| William Wilberforce | 32 |
| Charles James Fox | 6 |
| John Newton | 5 |
| Francis Bacon | 5 |
| Thomas Clarkson | 4 |
| Granville Sharp | 3 |
| Henry Pelham | 3 |
| Olaudah Equiano | 2 |
| Hannah More | 2 |
| Don't Know | 46 |
| None | 6 |
Q3 Next year is the two hundred year anniversary of Parliament's abolition of the slave trade in the former British Empire. Please could you tell me which of the following statements best describes your view about what should happen to mark the anniversary?
| % | |
|---|---|
| The anniversary should be commemorated through remembrance services or memorials in Britain | 28 |
| The anniversary should be marked by festival or other celebrations in Britain | 22 |
| There should not be any official events, or reparations to mark the anniversary in Britain | 18 |
| The direct descendents of slaves should be apologised to by the British government for the effects of slavery | 18 |
| The British government should agree to pay compensation or reparations to the direct descendents of slaves living in Britain for the effects of slavery | 7 |
| The British government should agree to pay compensation or reparations to all Black people living in Britain for the effects of slavery | 4 |
| Don't care / not interested / don't know | 23 |
Q4 The Universal Declaration on Human Rights says "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude" but according to one estimate, by Free the Slaves, a US-based campaigning organisation, 27 million people are enslaved today.
Can you name any specific types of modern slavery? Is there anything else?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Sex trafficking / forced prostitution | 35 |
| Working for less than minimum wage / less than a living wage | 28 |
| Working in sweatshops | 25 |
| Child labour | 23 |
| Illegal immigrants who work as au pairs or other domestic help / cleaners | 20 |
| Other forms of human trafficking (including children and forced labour) | 18 |
| Housewives / household | 1 |
| Prison / prisoners | * |
| Child soldiers | * |
| Arranged marriages | * |
| Drug addiction | * |
| Africa mentions | * |
| Economic | * |
| Mining | * |
| Specific job mentions | * |
| Other | 2 |
| Don't Know | 18 |
| None | 8 |
Q5 There are several different branches and denominations of the Christian Church. On balance, which of the following best describes your view of the role of the Christian Church in the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
| % | |
|---|---|
| On balance, the Christian Church profited from the Transatlantic Slave Trade | 26 |
| On balance, the Christian Church was a force for good and helped secure the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade | 23 |
| The Christian Church had no role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade | 8 |
| Don't know | 38 |
| None of these | 5 |
