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Even Edinburgh was built on the back of slaves

2020, Placard
Even Edinburgh was built on the back of slaves
Even Edinburgh was built on the back of slaves
Even Edinburgh was built on the back of slaves
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Category
Museums & Galleries Item
Item no
51189
Title
Even Edinburgh was built on the back of slaves
Description
Edinburgh’s past is inextricably linked to the slave trade. The city was home to many wealthy, powerful individuals who profited from the slave trade, whether directly or indirectly. These same individuals helped shape Edinburgh during the 18th and 19th centuries, but this part of the city’s history has not always been well known.

One of Edinburgh’s most prominent landmarks, the Melville Monument, was given a new plaque in 2020. This plaque recognises that the man to whom the monument is dedicated - Henry Dundas - was instrumental in delaying the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. Slave trading by British ships was not abolished until 1807. As a result of this delay, more than half a million enslaved Africans crossed the Atlantic.
Date
2020
Type
Location
The People's Story