Teaching Slavery: Engaging with Past to Address Inequality in the Present

The Legacies of British Slave-ownership project (2009-2015) used archival records to trace who the slave-owners were between 1763-1833. It tracked their investments across different areas: commercial, political, cultural, physical, imperial and historical. This enabled the researchers to evidence how slave-based wealth contributed to the development of Victorian Britain. It argued that the legacies of slavery created and sustained racial inequalities which continue to shape the present. 

Understanding the role slavery played within British society, both then and now, is vital for building a more equitable future. Following the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in 2007, the government made transatlantic slavery a mandatory part of the national curriculum, but this status was removed in 2013. Despite this it is still widely taught in schools. The topic deals with sensitive historical issues: empire, race, and violence. There is currently little support for training teachers on how to approach the subject, including access to new historiographical and pedagogical interventions.  

This project builds on work undertaken in partnership with the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery, UCL, the Institute of Education, UCL and the Historical Association. It aims to transform the teaching of slavery by embedding core teaching principles, building partnerships between educators and academics, offering high quality CPD, developing free teaching resources, and open access publishing the first book length study addressing how slavery is taught. Initially based in England, the project will connect with similar initiatives already underway in Scotland.