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Mail :	Plymouth and West Devon Record Office Unit 3 Clare Place Plymouth PL4 0JW Plymouth City Council Plymouth PL1 2AA
Phone :	01752 305940
Email :	pwdro@plymouth.gov.uk

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Plymouth and West Devon Record Office
Unit 3
Clare Place
Plymouth PL4 0JW

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Current location: Creativity and culture > Museums > City Museum and Art Gallery > Education > Schools > Resources > Human History > Transatlantic slave trade > Advocating abolition Plymouth's Links

Advocating abolition - Plymouth's Links education pack

The aim of this education pack is to provide pupils with the opportunity to develop a clearer understanding of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the campaigning that took place which eventually lead to the abolition of slavery. It draws upon various areas of study relating to the National Curriculum, including English, Drama, Mathematics, History, Citizenship, Art, Music and Dance. The pack includes information for teachers, a PowerPoint presentation for pupils, detailed lesson plans and a variety of other resources.

Plymouth and West Devon Record Office (PWDRO) holds a series of posters, dating back as early as 1814, calling for 'the Inhabitants of the Town of Plymouth to consider presenting a petition to his Royal Highness and both Houses of Parliament to ameliorate Slavery in the colonies of the British Empire'. The townsfolk of Plymouth would have attended these general meetings during the early 19th Century in Plymouth Guildhall and consequently signed petitions to effectively abolish slavery.

By the end of July 1814, 864 petitions had been submitted to London from across Britain, bearing 755,000 signatures. These meetings continued until The Slavery Abolition Act was brought into effect on 28 August 1833.

The context surrounding these posters offers a great deal of information regarding the history of the abolition of slavery and its links with Plymouth. This pack has been designed to re-awaken this noteworthy aspect of Plymouth’s history by unpicking local archives and piecing together the efforts played by the anti-slavery societies that were formed in Plymouth and throughout England.

This pack aims to encourage pupils to think critically about the reasons that slavery was abolished, write a piece of persuasive text, recreate the public meetings that took place in Plymouth Guildhall during the early 19th Century and carry out a petition signing using historic writing tools, quill pens and ink. The pack endeavours to raise pupils’ awareness of their heritage and consider the effects of their own actions, including campaigning for the rights of themselves and others.

It is recommended that African dance and drumming workshops are also carried out during this topic, not only to increase pupils' understanding and awareness of African culture, but also to celebrate how it has enriched many lives over the past few centuries. There are many African communities within Plymouth that are keen to share their culture with others. Working with such communities can be carried out by contacting the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service Department or the Plymouth and District Racial Equality Council in order to obtain further information.

If you are interested in any of the activities, or would simply like to learn more about the education and outreach opportunities, please contact the Community Engagement Officer on 01752 258733 or pwdro@plymouth.gov.uk.

Please note that due to website download limitations, some of the images here have been reduced in resolution. We can supply larger, better quality images on request. A limited supply of this education pack is still available from us on CD ROM.

Advocating abolition: abolition book [1.74MB]