17944 February 1794 and 27 April 1848 · Paris
France abolishes slavery
Revolutionary France abolished slavery in 1794, under pressure from the uprising in Saint-Domingue; Napoleon restored it in 1802. A decree prepared by Victor Schœlcher's commission and signed on 27 April 1848 ended it for good, freeing about 250,000 people in the colonies. Schœlcher now lies in the Panthéon, and since 2006 France has marked 10 May as a day of remembrance of the slave trade.
Sites
- Site 1: Hôtel de la Marine, Place de la ConcordeThe former navy and colonies ministry, where the 1848 decree was signed; the desk is still there.Map ↗
- Site 2: PanthéonSchœlcher's tomb and a plaque to Toussaint Louverture and Louis Delgrès.Map ↗
- Site 3: Slavery memorial, Jardin du LuxembourgA bronze of broken chains, unveiled in 2007 for the day of remembrance.Map ↗
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More from the 18th & 19th Century
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