Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners

In 1834 Britain abolished slavery, a defining and celebrated moment in our national history. What has been largely forgotten is that abolition came at a price. The government of the day took the extraordinary step of compensating the slave owners for loss of their ‘property’. In total ￡17bn in today’s money was paid to the slave owners. The enslaved got nothing.
　　In an exclusive partnership with University College London, historian David Olusoga uncovers Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners. Forensically examining the compensation records, he discovers the surprising range of people who owned slaves and the sheer scale of the slavery business.
　　David traces how the now forgotten pro-slavery campaigners influenced ideas about race. And by following the trail of money he reveals how the unprecedented injection of capital into the Victorian economy changed Britain, leaving a legacy that can still be felt to this day.