David Olusoga rightly criticises the Abolition of Slavery Act of 1833, both for its obscene generosity of £20m, "the modern equivalent of £17bn", granted as compensation to slave owners "for the loss of their human property", and for the lack of accuracy which surrounds it. It did not free all slaves in the empire as the countless school text books insist, because well into the 20th century, slavery was still in existence in Sierra Leone, Gambia, Burma, Hong Kong and northern Nigeria, a fact Britain confessed to the League of Nations in 1924.
Glorifying Britain`s role in the past is typical of the manipulation of our history which has been going on over centuries, and the Abolition Act must be seen alongside other such mythologised "facts" as the "fair governance" of our colonies and "Britain alone" in 1940! It`s a shame that the all too numerous "factoids" in the history books cannot be deleted as easily as the Treasury`s tweet!
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