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The National Archives > Exhibitions > Black Presence
The Legal Status of Slaves The legal position of enslaved Africans in Britain before the abolition of slavery was ambiguous, and further muddied and confused by senior lawyers. Revolutionary uprisings demanding natural justice rocked America in 1776 and France in 1789, but the principles of political and social freedom had limited application, particularly in the case of slaves. Slaves as Property Plantation owners in the Americas were dependent upon slaves to ensure high profitability. In Britain, 18th-century laws were designed to support a trade in slaves that was sanctioned by the king and parliament. A decision by the Solicitor General ....